Branstad campaign gearing up for general election

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday he takes nothing for granted heading into this week's GOP primary election, but still his campaign has announced planned stops for him and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds at events in 13 towns in the three days following Tuesday's balloting.

'This farm kid starts early in the morning and works long hours,” Branstad told his weekly news conference in commenting on a campaign swing starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Oskaloosa that assumes a primary win over Lohrville challenger Tom Hoefling in Tuesday's election.

'I'm very optimistic, I'm very hopeful that we will win that and then I want to lead the whole team to victory” in the November general election, the five-term governor said.

While Branstad hits the campaign trail, his expected Democratic opponent Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, who is running unopposed in Tuesday's primary, said after a Tuesday night victory event, he will be traveling to Massachusetts to visit his 95-year-old father who is battling health issues. He said he wanted to make the trip before the campaigning intensifies in the run up to the Nov. 4 general election.

Hatch acknowledged he will have to play catch up and that Branstad's $4.7 million war chest gives him a formidable fundraising lead, but he noted the GOP governor has been raising money for more than three years. Also, the period where restricted donors can contribute is just opening up now that the legislative session and the 30-day period for the governor to take action on bills has lapsed.

'With his mismanagement of state government and the scandals that have erupted during the last two years, I think the governor's going to need that money to defend his position and we will certainly have enough money to get our message out,” Hatch told reporters Monday.

Branstad said he believes his administration has accomplished a lot in 3 1/2 years but there is more to be done and he plans to run 'an effective, energetic campaign” to communicate his plan for the future.

'I'm very much looking forward to getting on the campaign trail,” said Branstad, who makes swings through central and southeast Iowa on Wednesday, northeast and central Iowa on Thursday, and north-central and west-central parts of the state on Friday. 'I think it's going to be an interesting and exciting time.”

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