Before the polls open on Tuesday, June 5th, there are some things you should know:
The Governor's Race
You will see six names on the Democratic ballot for Iowa Governor. However, only five are actual candidates. State Senator Nate Boulton suspended his campaign last month amid sexual harassment allegations. However, his announcement came after the deadline to have his name removed from the ballot, so you'll still see it on there. Here is some information about the five candidates who are still in the running to take on Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in the General Election this November:
Andy McGuire was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa. She became a doctor and has researched breast cancer, worked in nuclear medicine, and was hired by the Veteran's Hospital in Des Moines. Most recently though, McGuire was the Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party from 2014 to 2016.
Cathy Glasson was born in Spencer, Iowa. She became a registered nurse, working in the Intensive Care Unit at University of Iowa Hospital. That's where she led the charge to unionize nurses and staff. Glasson is now President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 199, which has several chapters representing health care centers and school districts in the Quad City Area.
Ross Wilburn is a graduate of Davenport Central High School. He later moved to Iowa City, where he was an Alderman and then the first African-American Mayor of Iowa City. Wilburn currently works as the Diversity Officer in Community and Economic Development for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
John Norris grew up on his family farm in Montgomery County, Iowa. He worked for former Iowa U.S. Senator Tom Harkin. He was also the Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party when Tom Vilsack became Governor and later became his Chief of Staff - both when he was Governor and later, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Norris is now the Co-Owner of State Public Policy Group, a public policy firm.
Fred Hubbell is part of a family that helped found Des Moines in the mid-1800s and created several businesses. One of those is a life insurance company called Equitable of Iowa, which Hubbell was the Chairman of, as well as the Chairman of Younkers and the Iowa Power Fund. He was also the Interim Director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development before he retired in 2006.
Meanwhile, Governor Kim Reynolds is running unopposed. She almost had a challenger though. Click the video above to find out what happened and what the Scott County Republican Chair thinks of the controversy. Governor Reynolds was Lieutenant Governor before taking over for Governor Terry Branstad in 2017 when he became the U.S. Ambassador to China. Governor Reynolds also broke a record when that happened, becoming the first female Governor of Iowa.
Breakfast With...
Last week, Good Morning Quad Cities had "Breakfast With..." the Chairs of the Scott County Democratic and Republican Parties. To see our conversation with Scott County Democratic Chair Thom Hart, click here. To see our conversation with Scott County Republican Chair Linda Greenlee, click here.
Voter Information
If you plan to vote tomorrow, make sure you have an ID with you to comply with Iowa's new voter identification law. If you don't, here are your options:
- You can have a witness say they know who you are
- You can cast a provisional ballot, which will go to an absentee board for approval
- You can sign an affidavit legally saying you are who you say you are
- You can show a different form of ID, including a passport, military ID, or college ID as long as it's not expired
The polls open at 7am and close at 9pm. To find your polling place, click here.