Capitol ideas: Debates give Democratic voters more to think about

Twice earlier this month, Iowa Democrats got to see their half-dozen candidates for governor debate on television.

Undecided voters had two opportunities to learn about the candidates' personal and professional backgrounds, and to see them - especially in Wednesday's debate on Iowa Public Television - engage one another in some rare areas of disagreement.

For months, Fred Hubbell and Nate Boulton have been considered the front-runners in the race, with Cathy Glasson, John Norris and Andy McGuire trying to break into that top tier and Ross Wilburn considered a long shot.

The debates showed the candidates largely agree on issues critical to Democratic primary voters. Knowing that, the candidates have stressed their backgrounds and experiences when saying why voters should support them.

Hubbell says he has leadership experience in both the public and private sectors and can bring people - and by that he partly means political parties - together.

Boulton says he has been fighting for Democratic issues and against the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature and governor in the Iowa Senate and before that as a labor lawyer.

Glasson describes hers as a grass roots campaign driven by individual supporters, and says as a registered nurse and labor leader she is not a typical politician.

Norris emphasizes his past work under former Gov. Tom Vilsack and former president Barack Obama, and claims he is the best candidate to win support in rural areas.

McGuire leans on her experience as a physician, which she says makes her the best candidate to address many of the top issues facing the state: management of the state health care program for low-income and disabled Iowans, the mental health care system and substance addiction.

Wilburn touts his experience as an elected executive - he is a former Iowa City mayor - and his work in diversity programs at Iowa State University.

During Wednesday's debate, a few of the candidates - Boulton in particular - put Hubbell on the defensive, a move that seemed inevitable given Hubbell's standing in the few polls conducted on the race. Hubbell's opponents challenged his stated desire to rein in state-funded tax assistance programs for large businesses, given his previous experience on the state's economic development board.

Whether the attacks landed with and steered any undecided voters away from Hubbell remains to be seen. Most undecided voters probably remain just that; Iowa voters are a notoriously fastidious lot. And there remains one more Democratic debate, on May 30, in the final week before the June 5 primary election.

Another interesting contrast was drawn on the question of electability. There is a strong sense of urgency among Democrats to win this gubernatorial race, which likely is their best opportunity to halt Republicans' complete control of state lawmaking. So there is pressure to choose the right candidate to face off against Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in November.

Hubbell has said he's run a general election campaign since Day 1 with the goal of defeating Reynolds. He said he wants to be a unifying governor who brings people together. And while he does not go out of his way to point it out, a clear strength is his fundraising and ability to chip in with his own funding, if needed.

Glasson pushes back at the notion that Democrats need to nominate a center-left candidate to win in November. She asserts Iowa is ready for a bold, progressive leader, which is how she describes her candidacy.

Norris claims he is best-suited to win in rural Iowa, where Democrats have lost support in recent elections and likely will need to rebound to win any significant races again.

Iowa Democrats are short on neither options nor information. They'll be flooded with more of the latter in these final weeks before the election as candidates begin to make their closing arguments.

Then, on June 5, we'll all find out who made the best impression.

Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and government. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter at @ErinDMurphy.