Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is making the case she should be elected to her job for the first time in November. She took over when former Gov. Terry Branstad left office to be U.S. Ambassador to China in 2017. Reynolds, 59, served as Branstad’s Lt. Governor since he was voted back into office in 2010.
A recent Iowa poll shows Reynolds in a close race for the governor’s office against Democrat and retired businessman Fred Hubbell. Hubbell, 67, says a larger-than-expected budget surplus of $127 million shows Reynolds is doing a poor job of managing the budget.
Reynolds sharply disagrees.
“I think it’s a reflection of an economy that’s growing,” Reynolds said in a wide-ranging interview with Iowa Public Radio. “Iowans are seeing more money in their pockets for the last three quarters straight.”
She said the tax cut bill she signed this year and changes to the federal tax code have been good for the state's economy. While she would not give an overall grade to President Donald Trump’s job as president, she gives him a "B+" or an "A" when it comes to the economy.
Reynolds and Hubbell will square off in their first of three debates on October 10th in Des Moines. You can hear where Reynolds stands on many issues including privatization of Medicaid management and education funding in the full interview with IPR’s Clay Masters.
