Hatch, Branstad take to the airwaves

DES MOINES - The race for governor in Iowa took to the airwaves Monday.

Democratic challenger Jack Hatch, a state senator from Des Moines, began his fall television advertising campaign with a 30-second commercial focusing on a theme that Iowans are becoming tired of Republican Terry Branstad's leadership after 20 years as governor.

'We're using a fun, light-hearted ad to zero in on some very serious failures and mistakes this governor has made,” said Hatch-Vernon Campaign Manager Grant Woodard. 'Iowans are tired of the same old stale ideas, the scandal-a-week stories and the bad decisions.”

Woodard said the $400,000 ad buy - Hatch's third TV commercial of the 2014 campaign - will begin airing today in most major TV markets in Iowa. He said the commercial is the first in a series of ads the campaign expects to run making the contrast in style and message between Hatch and Branstad during the remaining 57 days until the Nov. 4 election.

Meanwhile Monday, Branstad-Reynolds campaign officials released their eighth TV commercial of the general election campaign, a new 30-second spot that focuses on the comeback they say the state has made since Branstad returned for his fifth term in January 2011.

'Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds have brought Iowa back from the depths of widespread unemployment and bad budgeting to a growing economy and better future for Iowans,” said Jake Ketzner, Branstad-Reynolds campaign manager. 'This ad helps to provide perspective and contrast to the situation that Iowa faced in 2011 against the continuing successes that Iowa has seen under the Branstad-Reynolds administration.”