Culver campaign accuses Branstad of avoiding running-mate debate

Democratic Gov. Chet Culver's camp is accusing GOP opponent, former Gov. Terry Branstad and his campaign, from running away from a running-mate debate.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said the problem is scheduling, not a matter of avoiding a matchup between state Sen. Kim Reynolds, R-Osceola, and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, D-Albia. However, Culver told reporters Tuesday the real reason might be a fear factor.

“She must have a problem with trying to explain Terry Branstad's broken promises,” said Culver, who is locked in a tough re-election battle with Branstad, who is making a political comeback after serving as Iowa's governor from 1983 to 1999.

Culver spokesman Troy Price said Judge -- a former state senator, ex-Iowa agriculture secretary, farmer and nurse -- agreed last week to a joint appearance with Reynolds, a first-term state senator, at a forum at Drake University sponsored this month by IowaPolitics.com. Everything was arranged for the televised event, he said, but “the Branstad campaign said no” even though Reynolds had indicated she was open to a debate.

“They're trying to run out the clock. You know, they think they're ahead in the polls and they're going to run and they're going to hide, but we're going to pull them out,” Culver said.

“We haven't seen his running mate for a long time,” he added. “Iowans deserve to hear directly from someone that could be one heartbeat from becoming the governor of this state, and it's irresponsible for her not to step up on a stage with my outstanding and capable lieutenant governor, Patty Judge, who has proven to all Iowans that she is prepared to lead right now, no matter what.”

During a job-creation announcement in Ankeny, Reynolds told reporters she has been working to travel to all 99 counties and still has 15 to go. “It's a very aggressive agenda and we are determined to make that mark by before the election.” However, achieving that goal leaves little time for anything else, she said, in assessing a packed schedule.

“That's what we're focused on. We'll see what happens with the schedule, but while they're focused on a debate, we're focused on being out in the public and meeting with Iowans and actually taking their questions and listening to them,” she added.

Branstad said he was confident Reynolds would “do great” in a matchup of running mates, “but frankly, at this point in time, we're very late in the campaign and the schedules are pretty well set, so we don't want to pull the lieutenant governor off of the great job she's doing meeting with people and rallying the troops and visiting every county and talking about jobs. That's what the focus here is going to be. Maybe the opposition wants to talk about other things or spend their time attacking us.”

During her nearly four years as lieutenant governor, Judge has led Iowa's homeland security and emergency response efforts and played an instrumental role in the response and recovery efforts following Iowa's worst natural disaster in 2008. Branstad has praised Reynolds as a tireless campaigner who will play key roles in rural development efforts and serve as a liaison with local governments as the No. 2 executive in his administration if elected.