Cedar Rapids mayor, Ron Corbett, says Iowa has “come to the close of the Branstad era.” He’s asking Republicans to nominate him for Governor.
In announcing his candidacy, Corbett is officially opposing Governor Kim Reynolds who is a protege' of the Branstad administration. Terry Branstad resigned a month ago to become U.S. Ambassador to China
Corbett acknowledged the transition during a Tuesday evening picnic in downtown Cedar Rapids, saying, “It’s time to elect new leaders, with new ideas, that have a new game plan for the State of Iowa.”
The new game plan centers on what Corbett calls a “core four," including revamping Iowa’s tax structure, restoring the state’s national leadership in K-12 education, improving water quality and showing concern for citizens.
Corbett is leaving no doubt he’ll be leveraging his record in leading Cedar Rapids back from the disastrous flooding nearly a decade ago. “And so it’s today in this resilient city of Cedar Rapids that I stand proudly and announce that I’m going to run for Governor and bring a new plan to this state.”
Corbett says he’s not a raw, red meat candidate, but rather a conservative Republican with an independent streak. Reynolds has not formally announced her candidacy for the 2018 election, but on Friday her campaign sent out a news release saying she and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg intend to be candidates. On Monday, the campaign named more than one thousand county chairs in all 99 Iowa counties.