Jack Hatch files his gubernatorial nomination papers

DES MOINES – Democrat Jack Hatch filed his nominating papers for governor Friday, saying Iowans are ready for a change and he hopes to give them a new direction for the future by ousting five-term Republican Gov. Terry Branstad this November.

Hatch, 64, a private developer who has been a state senator since 2003, presented petitions bearing 10,655 signatures to the Iowa Secretary of State's Office to be placed on the June primary ballot in his quest to be the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2014 governor's race.

Although he trailed in a recent public opinion poll issued by Quinnipac University with 35 percent support compared to Branstad's 46 percent, Hatch said he believes he will gain momentum when more Iowans' get to know him and focus on key 2014 issues of job opportunity, quality education and accessible health care.

“There's a sense that this governor is coasting,” Hatch told reporters after filing his nominating papers.

“I think the governor has been in office a lot,” the Des Moines Democrat added. “These last three and a half years, he has not performed like he has in his first four terms. His agenda has been timid and he's been part of this very strong kind of right-wing partisan bickering that's going on. Even though they like to say this is not like Washington D.C., it's been very difficult to work with this governor.”

Hatch said he has eight months to make his case to Iowans and offer his vision for the state's future.

“The governor has had 20 years to do that and apparently he's not having a straight conversation with them, because they're not feeling comfortable that he's looking out for their future,” he said.

That's evidenced in the poll numbers, Hatch contends.

“They're satisfied with the job performance but they don't want to vote for him again – that's what the poll show,” he said. “I think that's an opportunity. I have to show Iowans that there is a different, better approach.”

Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@sourcemedia.net