As predicted, Governor Terry Branstad cruised to victory to win his sixth term as the state’s chief executive, easily defeating his Democratic opponent Jack Hatch.
To a cheering crowd of several hundred at the West Des Moines Marriott, Branstad called his victory a great team effort.
“Our staff, the Republican Party of Iowa, all the candidates on our ticket, and volunteers in all of Iowa’s 99 counties,” he said.
State Senator Hatch called the governor to concede the race with only a small number of precincts reporting.
The governor credited his success to a focused and disciplined campaign. Branstad said he is leading an energized Republican party. But he will continue to have a split legislature to work with when he begins his sixth term in office. Voters have returned Democrats to their slim 26 to 24 majority in the Iowa Senate. The GOP improved its margin in the Iowa House, from 53 to 57 Republicans.
