DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is officially in the race to return to the state’s top job.
He announced his bid for the Republican nomination on Tuesday after months of toying with the idea of a return to politics.
Branstad said his first chore as governor would be to repair the state’s tattered budget. He has vowed to cut state spending by 15 percent while putting a new focus on schools.
First, though, he will face a Republican primary, with three other candidates who are seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Chet Culver.
Branstad served four terms as governor before leaving office in 1998. Democrats have already launched an attack on his time as governor, citing two increases in the state’s sales tax and an increase in the gasoline tax.
