Andy McGuire Kicks Off Gubernatorial Bid – Here’s Who Backs Her

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