The Field Thins
The most likely candidate yet to enter the Democrat field for governor opted against the run yesterday. State Auditor Rob Sand instead said he’d seek a second term in his current office.
Sand has been a frequent critic of current Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, and many have suggested that some of that was laying the foundation for his future run for governor.
That might happen, but apparently not in 2022. That leaves the Democrats with two declared candidates but no clear favorite.
Liz Mathis opted against the run in favor of running for Congress. Cindy Axne decided to run for re-election to Congress.
Waterloo Rep. Ras Smith was the first to declare, followed by political activist Deidre De Jear, who lost a statewide race for secretary of state four years ago. Both are young, in their middle 30s; both are African-American, both are staking out the progressive lane politically.
Is that a winning strategy? Separately, does the number of higher profile names declining to make the run suggest something about the Governor’s political strength?
Democrats have tried to make the nickname “Covid Kim” stick, but it hasn’t. After the red wave in Iowa in last year’s election, the party is by their own admission bruised. And the mess in Washington these days, with Democrats in the White House and holding working majorities in both chambers of Congress, doesn’t help their brand.
2022 will be a very important year at the ballot box. The trick now is fielding the slate of candidates. And for the top job within Iowa, that’s proving difficult.
