Former gubernatorial candidate Todd Prichard has made his pick for the office he sought earlier this year, reports Ed Tibbetts. The Charles City state representative announced today that he’s endorsing Fred Hubbell in the Democratic primary for governor.
“I’m endorsing Fred for two simple reasons: he would make an outstanding governor for all Iowans, rural and urban, and I know Fred can win in November and deliver the real results our state desperately needs,” Prichard said in a statement.
Prichard built up a loyal following during his bid for the party’s gubernatorial nomination earlier this year, and his support could help Hubbell with outreach to veterans and rural parts of the state. For the past few months, Prichard has hosted most of the Democratic candidates at his home in Charles City to help introduce them to local activists.
He joins his Iowa House colleague Chris Hall of Sioux City in supporting Hubbell – Hall’s endorsement was announced yesterday. The two together are a nice get for the Des Moines businessman’s campaign, and were some of the few relatively high-profile Democrats yet to endorse in the primary.
They’re also both from Republican-leaning areas of the state, with Prichard specifically making the electability case for Hubbell. That argument might start to factor into more Democrats’ minds as they look ahead to what will likely be a costly race against Republican Governor Kim Reynolds.
“Iowa is facing a severe budget crisis because of the fiscal mismanagement of our state led by Governor Reynolds,” Hall, who has led Democratic efforts on the budget, said in his statement. “We need a proven leader like Fred Hubbell with the vision and skill to get our state back on track and growing,”
Prichard was one of the first candidates to declare his interest in the gubernatorial race very early this year. After State Senator Liz Mathis decided against a run, it looked like Prichard, Andy McGuire and Rich Leopold might be the only main contenders for a time. Then the field grew exponentially, and Prichard wasn’t able to financially compete with some of the bigger names that jumped in, ending his candidacy in August. State Senator Nate Boulton’s consolidation of labor union support was seen as the biggest impediment to Prichard’s candidacy.
Another Democrat who was exploring a run for governor earlier this year, Mike Matson of Davenport, also endorsed Hubbell back in late August.
Hubbell and Boulton now each hold a significant amount of the endorsements from legislators, while McGuire and John Norris have a few as well (Des Moines State Representative Marti Anderson said yesterday she’d be supporting Norris).
by Pat Rynard
Posted 11/21/17
5 Comments on "Todd Prichard Backs Fred Hubbell For Governor"
Excellent endorsement by Todd Prichard. I think Fred Hubbell mirrors what Todd was saying about the concerns of rural Iowa towns and areas as well as concerns of our larger cities before Todd dropped out of the race.
I’m surprised and a bit disappointed; John Norris’ rural-rooted campaign seems the closest to a continuation of Todd’s themes and concerns.
I think that Pritchard’s endorsement is a feather in Hubbell’s cap for sure. And Hubbell resonates in his ads (plus he seems to have the big bucks for those ads) with this household.
That said, even though it won’t happen, I’d like to see more people on the Cathy Glasson bandwagon.
Although I’m a Baby Boomer, I think it’s time for a generational change in our state leadership. Nate Boulton’s candidacy is creating excitement among the young voters we need to implement our party’s values.
Iowa disparately needs change in leadership in the legislative and executive branch. I really don’t think it matters whether the change is generational or not. It is time we need a candidate that has the executive experience and leadership it takes to provide the leadership we need in Iowa. One that can appeal to all generations. All the excitement and appeal to a certain generation and voting bloc as Boulton and Glasson are doing can’t replace the years of experience and seasoning that Fred Hubbell can provide. We can expect nothing less. Fred’ appeal is steadily rising!