Iowa’s major-party candidates for governor were on the road in the final week of the campaign to make their closing pitches to voters.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds was in Williamsburg Tuesday evening with other GOP candidates as part of her bus tour around the state. She didn’t mention her Democratic opponent Deidre DeJear in her speech. Instead, Reynolds talked about her opposition to policies from President Joe Biden and the Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress.
“Whatever it takes, whatever it costs, they are fundamentally trying to change who we are as a country.” Reynolds said. “And in seven days, what are we going to do? We’re going to take our country back.”
She reiterated a familiar theme from her campaign—presenting Iowa as an alternative to the "chaos" in other parts of the country. Reynolds highlighted her actions tocut taxes, ban mask and COVID vaccine mandates in schools and ban transgender women and girls from competing in women’s and girls’ sports.
She also echoed a line from her most recent TV ad.
“Here in Iowa, we know right from wrong, we know boys from girls, we know liberty from tyranny, we love our country, we love our military, and we love our men and women who serve in law enforcement,” Reynolds said.
She urged Iowans to get out and vote for Republicans to make a “red wave” possible.
Democratic candidate for governor Deidre DeJear is closing out her campaign with a message of unity.
At a Thursday evening event in Indianola, she talked about her top priorities, which include giving more funding to public schools, expanding mental health care access, and preserving abortion rights.
“The role of government is to make sure that we go the distance for everybody, because I firmly believe in life, liberty and happiness, and all Iowans having access to that,” DeJear said.
She said Reynolds has been making policy that only benefits some Iowans. DeJear said Iowans deserve more.
“There are so many issues that are bringing Republicans, Democrats and independents together, including the issue of choice,” she said. “These are issues that are really about our freedom, folks. That’s what we’re fighting for.”
DeJear urged her supporters to put in work in the last few days of voting to encourage more Iowans to vote for her.
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from last month found 52% of likely voters would vote for Reynolds, 35% would vote for DeJear, and 4% would vote for Libertarian Rick Stewart.
Iowans can vote early at their county auditor or elections office Friday, Saturday and Monday. Election Day voting is open Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor by the time polls close on Election Day.
