Andy McGuire made official today what most Iowa Democrats have known for three years: she’s running for governor. Launching her candidacy with a well-produced announcement video and a slate of early endorsers, McGuire enters the Democrats’ primary race by highlighting her large family, her medical profession and a promise to “fix it.”
Her video begins with her waking up early, getting her children up and heading to the breakfast table while her voiceover emphasizes Iowa values of hard work.
“Believe me, when you have seven kids, that’s the only way anything gets done,” McGuire says to the camera. “But for too long, those in power seem to only get things done for the special interests behind closed doors. It’s a broken political system … Enough’s enough. I’m Andy McGuire and that’s why I’m running for governor. Because it’s time to fix it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-s_UL99obw&feature=youtu.be
Notably, the video doesn’t mention her very recent tenure as chair of the Iowa Democratic Party during the 2016 election cycle. Instead she focuses on her role as a medical doctor, speaking about the times she’s cared for veterans coming home from war. She also mentions being a medical executive that worked on preventative healthcare, referencing her leadership of Meridian, a private Medicaid operation.
She goes on to hit the Branstad/Reynolds administration for “broken promises” and a “broken economy.”
Her campaign also rolled out a list of early endorsers, including several well-known names that have a very long history in Iowa Democratic politics:
- Leonard Boswell – Former U.S. Representative (IA-3)
- Bonnie Campbell – Former Iowa Attorney General
- Roxanne Conlin – Former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa and first female president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA)
- Mike Gronstal – Former Iowa State Senate Majority Leader
- Gary Kroeger – Black Hawk County Activist
- Linda Nelson – Former State Representative and Former President of the Iowa State Education Association
- Phyllis Thede – Iowa State Representative (HD 93)
- Ryan McDaniel – President, Student Leadership Council for Iowa Safe Schools
- Jamie Woods – Chair, The Black Caucus of the Iowa Democratic Party
- Jo Ann Zimmerman – Former Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
McGuire will enter the race with a sizable financial lead, though details of that will probably wait until later. She joins an ever-expanding field of Democrats hoping to retake Terrace Hill, with around ten people considering or having announced at the moment. It’s likely that Democrats will end up with only five or six candidates, though McGuire’s place as the only female contender will likely boost her vote totals.
The Democratic primary is 14 months away on June 5, 2018.
by Pat Rynard
Posted 4/10/17
11 Comments on "Andy McGuire Kicks Off Gubernatorial Bid – Here’s Who Backs Her"
Many of her supporters are “formers”. All good people but none of them are new. It is great to have experience but it is also better to have new people with the same knowledge and drive to win and get things done. Right now the Dems are in a low and need a new face to bring us into a high. Not a lot of older or new activists on the list either. She list at least 4 candidates that have been defeated. It would better to have well known party activists rather than defeated office holders and candidates. We are looking for a new vibrant face with “the total package”. Where are the new faces with experience and new energy. They are out there.! I personally am supporting one of those newer faces with energy and the “total package”.
If Iowa Democrats are hoping to ruin the chances of great down ballot Democrats, voting for McGuire in the primary is the way to go.
Her opponents on both sides of the aisle are sure to bring up her chairmanship of the IDP (and the fiasco that turned out to be). I’m with Jorge and Gary; she may be well-financed, but having wealthy backers is not an indication of her competence. She reached, imho, her Peter Principle level as Chairperson; as Governor, she’d be in WAY over her head. We can (and should) do better.
I am surprised that she isn’t seeking the Republican nomination. After all, she did more for the Republican party than anyone in history.
Without trying to be too much of a cynic, I have deep concerns about her candidacy. She appears to be running a campaign that is completely oblivious to what happened in 2016 (and 2014). Optics are important, and this seems to be the same old campaign that Iowa Dems have rolled out year after year.
The list of early endorsers looks like a list of centrists who wonder how and why we lost in 2016, 2014, 2012, 2010 etc. etc. We don’t need more of the same ole in Iowa politics and we don’t need Andy.
You’ll notice my name is not on this committee. That’s OK: not the first time McGuire has left my name off a committee.
Great, another baby boomer who thinks they know best and can “fix” a mess they contributed to making in the first place. Young Democrats are getting really tired of this schtick. We need Todd Prichard.
So, an undefunded, inexperienced, young fresh face, not tied to the the “establishment” is going to beat Kim Reynolds, a centrist Republican in a centrist state. Gimme a break. Back before the 2016 election even started, I saw purist progressives trying to sabotage Hillary before she had any primary opponents, just as they are now attempting to sabotage Andy. The only way a Republican can win the governorship is if smart liberals don’t realize progressive purity is not a winning strategy. Let’s hope Andy has a fighting chance at preventing the purists from taking the wheel of the Titanic. If they’re still steering in 2018, we will lose. Long-time Democrats reaching back to the progressive roots of FDR’s Democratic Party as Andy does, can match anyone’s progressive bona fides any day of the week. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath. http://www.bleedingheartland.com/2016/11/28/how-to-lead-the-iowa-democratic-party/
A previous comment was: “Long-time Democrats reaching back to the progressive roots of FDR’s Democratic Party as Andy does, can match anyone’s progressive bona fides any day of the week.” I agree with the Dem’s looking back to the FDR years, so similar to today. I feel that was/is the reason for the support of Bernie Sanders: He is on ‘our side’.
Sadly, I also see the Trump voters as thinking Trump was ‘on their side’. With the tax cuts for the rich, etc, it has become apparent that wasn’t true. Shows he’s a great salesman thou!
We need to get the Democratic Party back to standing for the people. And now that we have realized the sweep towards the Republican party didn’t work, let’s elect Democrats who will represent the people who elected them.