Governor’s race in Iowa set to intensify

DES MOINES - Democratic challenger Jack Hatch said Tuesday he will spend the next two months working to convince Iowans he offers a better future course to lead Iowa than Gov. Terry Branstad's record of abuse, mismanagement and unmet promises since 2011.

'We believe that we can win this election,” Hatch told a Statehouse news conference where he announced plans to launch a statewide advertising campaign that will compare and contrast the ideas he hopes to offer Iowans with the vision he contends Branstad lacks.

Hatch, who faces a significant fundraising disadvantage and has been outspent by Branstad heading into the key months leading up to the Nov. 4 general election, said Iowans are hungry for change, and most don't believe their personal income has grown by 25 percent as the Republican incumbent pledged to achieve in the 2010 campaign.

Branstad has been touring the state and running campaign ads recently touting his accomplishments and seeking re-election.

'The governor can spend all that he wants but you can't buy back integrity,” said Hatch, who contended the abuses of power and mismanagement of state resources under the current administration 'has been to a level never seen before in this state” and rivals the corruption in Illinois and Texas that Branstad often is prone to berate.

Hatch's comments came closely behind developments last week where Iowa Republicans raised questions about Hatch's ethics - claims the Des Moines Democrat said have previously been debunked - and a report by Republican State Auditor Mary Mosiman confirming that Branstad administration officials have entered into 42 settlement agreements with former employees that included confidentiality clauses, but only one included an additional payment for a secrecy provision.

Branstad told reporters at his weekly news conference that the auditor found more settlements than his office's internal investigation due to the fact that the state Department of Administrative Services lacked an adequate electronic tracking system. That deficiency is being corrected, he said.

'I'm pleased that the auditor's report showed the action I took with the executive order has ended the use of confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements,” he said.

Hatch praised the work of the Senate Government Oversight Committee in bringing to light concerns about secret settlements, allegations of 'hush money” and cronyism in employment practices and other problems within state government, but he said the time for investigations is over and the time has arrived for Iowans to decide the state's future direction.

Hatch said his campaign will be launching a statewide TV advertising effort next week that will underscore the differences between the two major-party contenders for governor. Hatch said the commercials will 'just tell the truth,” but in so doing will be 'hard hitting” and 'critical.”

Hatch spoke on a day when the GOP-leaning Iowa Association of Business and Industry's Political Action Committee endorsed Branstad's 2014 re-election bid. The association represents 1,400 businesses employing more than 300,000 Iowans.

'Gov. Branstad has proven once again his ability to lead the state out of challenging financial times and to a budget surplus,” Kirk Tyler, ABI PAC chairman, said in a statement. 'Gov. Branstad's focus on educating Iowa's future workforce and keeping businesses in Iowa makes him the clear choice to receive the Friend of Iowa Business endorsement.”

Also Tuesday, Branstad picked up the endorsement of the Iowa Corn political action committee, an association with represents more than 7,600 corn growers in Iowa.

l Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@thegazette.com