Hatch promises a governorship that “makes dreams come true”

DES MOINES - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jack Hatch kicked off a marathon campaign swing Tuesday night promising to give Iowans a fresh start if they choose him over five-term Republican incumbent Terry Branstad when they go to the polls next Tuesday.

Hatch said he and running mate Monica Vernon plan to take their message 'to the streets, to the neighborhoods, to the towns in search of Iowans who want something different from Branstad's tired, mismanaged leadership that lacks integrity.

Make him governor, Hatch said, and 'I'll give you a state government that will listen, I'll give you a government that will make your dreams come true, and that's what I promise to you.”

Hatch, a three-term state senator from Des Moines, acknowledged that he has been outmatched in fundraising but he said the race is not about money, 'it's about big ideas and what we want our state to look like.” By that measure, he said, Branstad's campaign is bankrupt of ideas and he is the one offering Iowans hope for a better tomorrow.

'We've known all along that Terry Branstad has not been their first choice and it's my job to tell Iowans I can do a better job. We still have seven days. This is where people are going to start listening,” said Hatch, who embarked on a 37-city tour Tuesday.

'This campaign has always been about doing the impossible,” Hatch told about 100 supporters who turned out for the tour's kickoff at the Des Moines Social Club.

'This is not going to be easy. Nothing worth fighting for is easy,” he said. 'This is not about making excuses. This is about making dreams come true.”

For his part, Branstad was already on the road Tuesday with Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds making stops in Dubuque, Marion, DeWitt and Bettendorf as part of their Building Iowa's Future Tour.

During his Marion stop, Branstad said he was enjoying the opportunity to visit people across Iowa, having already been to all 99 counties in his quest for an unprecedented sixth, four-year term.

'I love Iowa and I'm proud of the record we've established,” Branstad said. 'We're not done yet. We want to build a very bright future for this great state.”

Branstad said the effort now is about making sure people who support the GOP ticket cast their ballots.

'I don't know about changing minds. I think most people have decided how they are going to vote and some people have already voted,” Branstad said. 'But there's still a few undecided and a lot of it is motivating people to get out to vote … how important this election is. It's really going to determine the direction of this country. I really feel Americans recognize Iowa's in the right track, but the country's on the wrong track.”

Gazette reporter James Lynch contributed to this story.