Gubernatorial hopeful Todd Prichard vows to fight for ‘forgotten Iowans’

CEDAR RAPIDS - Describing himself as a 'crossover candidate,” Rep. Todd Prichard is kicking off his campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination pledging to fight for the 'forgotten Iowans” in both urban and rural parts of the state.

'I know the forgotten Iowa because it's where I'm from,” Prichard told a handful of people Tuesday during a stop in the rooftop garden at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. He's from the 'forgotten” working class of Davenport where his family operated a carpet cleaning business and he now represents a 'forgotten” rural Iowa House district covering parts of Floyd, Cerro Gordo and Chickasaw counties.

'When I'm governor, the days of ignoring the middle class are over, the days of kowtowing to political donors are over, the days of giveaways for corporate America are over,” the 42-year-old attorney and Army Reserve lieutenant colonel said.

He recalled his advice to the 32-man rifle team he commanded on the Iraq-Kuwait border in 2000 that regardless of what came at them: 'We fight, we don't give up and we don't leave anyone behind.”

The same holds true in Iowa today, he said.

'We have to fight for the things we believe in as Iowans to keep Iowa a great place to live and work,” said Prichard who was accompanied by his wife, Ann, and Emma, one of the couple's three children.

Earlier on Tuesday, Prichard officially announced his candidacy in his hometown of Charles City, where about 100 people gathered at a downtown coffee shop.

As governor, he would fight for more money for education, including free tuition for any Iowan who wanted to attend a community college. He would fight for health care by stopping the 'reckless” privatization of Medicaid that he sees denying services and driving providers out of business. He would also fight for women's right to abortion services.

Prichard also wants to fight for new jobs and businesses in communities across the state, not just in urban areas, and he wants to raise the minimum wage.

First up if he's elected governor in 2018, he said, will be an executive order to override changes the Legislature made in Iowa's public employee collective bargaining law.

'We need to hold up our public employees, not attack them,” he said, adding that the changes hurt Iowans by depressing wages.

When he announced he was exploring a run for governor back in March Prichard didn't expect a crowded Democratic primary field.

Now he's one of at least seven people who either have declared their candidacy or are exploring the race. Former Iowa Democratic Party Chair Andy McGuire, former Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Rich Leopold, Sen. Nate Boulton and former Des Moines School Board President Jon Neiderbach all have launched campaigns. John Norris, who was a top aide to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, and Des Moines businessman Fred Hubbell also are considering running.

The number of candidates 'shows the excitement and the energy on the Democratic side,” Prichard said. 'I think it shows the rejection of the agenda that we saw in the Legislature and Branstad-Reynolds administration ... that is really out of step with Iowa values and Iowans' sense of pragmatism.”

He'll be back in the area Thursday for an 11:30 a.m. stop at the Java House, 211 E. Washington St., Iowa City.

For more on Prichard, go to toddprichard.com.

l Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com