Radio Iowa – Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra made it official Tuesday. He’s running for governor. Feenstra formed an exploratory committee in May to raise money for the race, but kicked his campaign off Tuesday morning with a video.
Feenstra has been appearing at campaign events, hinting at the theme of his campaign. This is what he said last Friday at a fundraiser in Coralville, “We want to take this state to new heights,” Feenstra says. “We want to make sure we are the most business and ag-friendly state in the country. We want make to make sure that we have world class education right here.”
Feenstra has been promising to focus on Iowa’s workforce shortage, “We want to make sure our kids stay here, that when they graduate from high school that they have job with the trade they got from high school,” Feenstra said. “And finally, we want affordable and accessible health care. We can’t have moms traveling 50-75 miles for maternity care.”
On October 11, at an event with Senator Joni Ernst, Feenstra touted how Republicans in congress are working with President Trump and Feenstra says Trump deserves thanks for what’s happened since he retook the White House.
“Border shut down. Drugs almost gone. When you think about anybody coming from Venezuela on a ship, do you really think they’re coming on a boat now? We’d just blow ’em out of the water, by the way. It’s incredible,” Feenstra said. “We lowered taxes, kept inflation in check, getting rid of illegals.”
Feensta served in the Iowa Senate before being elected to the U.S. House in 2020. Feenstra’s campaign video did not mention the other Republican candidates who’ve been campaigning for governor for the past few months, but did criticize State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat who’s running for governor.
A spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association says Feenstra has been a rubber stamp for Trump in congress and as governor would continue the same GOP policies that have led to a failing Iowa economy, underfunded schools and an extreme abortion ban.