Jason Noble

jnoble2@dmreg.com

Former Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Andy McGuire entered the 2018 race for Iowa governor on Monday with a statement and a video announcing her candidacy.

McGuire, a physician and health care management executive, led the state party from 2015 and 2016, overseeing the most recent Iowa caucuses campaign. In her announcement on Monday, she centered her campaign on help for Iowa’s “working families.”

“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 that works for them – not us. And it’s leaving hard-working Iowans behind,” McGuire said in the statement announcing her candidacy. “It’s time we stop pitting people against each other, and finally get things done for Iowa families – to fix it, together.”

McGuire, 60, of Des Moines, has held executive posts at Wellmark and the American Enterprise Group insurance companies and the Meridian Health Plan, a Medicaid managed care organization. She’s a Waterloo native.

In the video accompanying the announcement, McGuire played up her large family — she and her husband have seven children — and her efforts balancing work and family as she advanced in her medical career. She described a “progressive” agenda and implied the current Republican administration is working only on behalf of “the powerful.”

“Stop pitting people against each other, and instead start fighting for what’s right,” McGuire said. “Invest in our schools and make it easier to start and grow small business in Iowa. Raise wages with equal pay for equal work and ensure access to quality affordable health care.”

Her single term as party chairwoman coincided with the closely fought Iowa caucus campaign between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders that ended with a narrow Clinton victory. McGuire was seen as aligned with Clinton – a car she drove had “HRC 2016” vanity license plates – dividing some party activists.

McGuire on Monday announced endorsements from several prominent Iowa Democrats including former U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, former Attorney General Bonnie Campbell, former Senate leader Mike Gronstal, and Des Moines attorney Roxanne Conlin.

She is the second Democratic candidate to unequivocally announce a candidacy, along with Polk County conservationist Rich Leopold. State Rep. Todd Prichard has opened a committee to explore a candidacy and several others are eying the race as well, including state Sen. Nate Boulton and John Norris, a long-time aide to former Gov. Tom Vilsack.

Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will likely become governor later this year after Gov. Terry Branstad is confirmed as ambassador to China, and is expected to run for a full term in 2018. Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett is also considering a run for the GOP nomination.