According to the letter, released Thursday via email:
To Democratic Activists and Primary Voters:
Our friend, Representative Todd Prichard has proven to be a quiet but thoughtful leader in the legislature. We couldn’t be more proud to support him in his campaign for governor of Iowa.
Since coming to the legislature in 2013, we have had the chance to get to know Todd and watched as he has fought for those Iowans who have been left behind. Now, as he runs for governor, he is fighting for the forgotten Iowa — the communities and Iowans who have been left behind by the Branstad/Reynolds administration.
Todd will be a champion for education, fighting to fully fund our schools once again, and has proposed a bold plan to provide free community college for all Iowans. He will end the Reynolds administration’s disastrous Medicaid privatization and help expand health insurance for all Iowans. And, he will bring good wages back to Iowans by raising the minimum wage, restoring collective bargaining rights, and expanding economic opportunities to all corners of the state.
Todd knows the struggles of the forgotten Iowans because he was one. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood on the west end of Davenport. He watched as the collapse of the farm economy meant good-paying manufacturing jobs disappeared, putting his neighbors out of work. He saw his parents make the painful choices that so many Iowans make today, like whether to send their kid to the doctor or put food on the table.
Now, as a former prosecutor and lawyer from Charles City, Todd sees the same struggles he saw growing up — people working multiple jobs yet still struggling to put food on the table or provide for their families.
Todd has fought for his community, and that is why he has been elected three times to the legislature — in spite of difficult years for rural Democrats. In fact, in 2016, Todd won with 55% of the vote in a district that Donald Trump won by 15 points. He wins because his constituents know he cares.
Now, he is ready to fight for all of us, and we are proud to support Todd Prichard for governor.
We believe Todd is the best candidate to win next November, but more importantly, we believe Todd is the best candidate to lead our state. He has the commitment. He has the vision. He has the passion. Most of all, he has the belief in the greatness of what we can be. Todd will lead our party and our state out of darkness we are in thanks to the policies of Terry Branstad and Kim Reynolds.
We are supporting Todd Prichard for governor, and we hope you will too. It is time we have a governor that will once again fight for every Iowan.
Sincerely,
Rep. Bruce Bearinger, Oelwein
Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, Waterloo
Fmr. Rep. David Dawson, Sioux City
Sen. Bob Dvorsky, Coralville
Fmr. Rep. Ro Foege, Cedar Rapids
Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, Des Moines
Rep. Dave Jacoby, Coralville
Rep. Monica Kurth, Davenport
Rep. Tim Kacena, Sioux City
Fmr. Rep. Dan Muhlbauer, Manilla
Rep. Sharon Steckman, Mason City
Fmr. Rep. Sally Stutsman, Riverside
Fmr. Rep. Roger Thomas, Elkader
Rep. Mary Wolfe, Clinton
