DES MOINES – Sen. Jack Hatch Sunday released a :30 campaign advertisement, the first of the 2014 gubernatorial campaign. The ad features a parody of the 1970s film “Smokey and the Bandit,” and calls attention to Governor Branstad’s failures and missed opportunities before introducing Sen. Hatch to Iowans.
In an email to supporters Sunday night, Hatch wrote:
As I have traveled the state over the past several months, it is clear to me that Iowans of all political stripes share my concern that Terry Branstad has failed to take responsibility for his state vehicle speeding.
While the ad is lighthearted, the issue is a serious one: Terry Branstad is not the same governor he was in the 1980s – he now thinks and acts as though he is above the law.
Look at the record:
Failed to provide oversight of the Iowa Juvenile Home as some residents were forced to spend hundreds of days in tiny isolation cells;
Illegally closed 36 Iowa Workforce Development offices, causing a lawsuit in which his veto was found to violate the Iowa Constitution;
Spent more than $350,000 defending a lawsuit brought by a state commissioner alleging Branstad bullied him and slashed his salary based on his sexual orientation; and
Handed out more than a quarter billion dollars to a foreign fertilizer company, incentives totaling $687,500 per job created.
What’s certain: Terry Branstad simply has been in office for too long.
From my experience in business and government I know the buck stops with the leader. Governor Branstad’s actions and subsequent punting of responsibility creates an Iowa leadership void. Being Governor means more than simply handing out tax breaks and showing up at groundbreakings.
In the coming weeks I’ll finish my statewide tour and make my announcement about seeking the office of Governor. But I want Iowans to know a Hatch Administration would restore accountable leadership.
1 thought on “First campaign ad launched of the 2014 gubernatorial campaign”
Jack, I listened to a radio interview and you didn’t answer one question with a direct answer. You could not even remember how you voted on right to carry. Next caller was good enough to have your record in front of him to help with your memory problems