No matter what gets thrown at us, Iowans work hard and do our best to do right by each other. Even during a global pandemic, many Iowans stepped up to share information, support working families, teachers and medical providers and protect one another from the life-threatening impacts of a deadly virus.
Unfortunately, Iowa’s leadership made this harder than it had to be. As Governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds put working families, our communities and economy at risk. Over and over again, Reynolds has ignored the needs of Iowans and put big corporations ahead of what’s best for workers and families. She’s caved to conservative extremists instead of supporting our teachers and doctors and has corrupted our state’s highest office with misspent funds and political handouts.
We’ve stood together through so much. By holding Governor Reynolds and the Republican-led legislature accountable, we can demand policies that invest in working families, improve access to healthcare and give our kids the resources they need to get ahead.
Key Takeaways:
Our research put Reynolds’ performance to the test to find out which theme of missteps frustrate Iowans the most. The clear winner across all demographics is Corporate Sellout. Across gender, age, race and education Iowans respond most strongly to messages about Reynolds actions as a Corporate Sellout who puts big corporations ahead of Iowans. Our research shows that a significant portion of Iowans would vote for someone else when reminded that Governor Reynolds has a pattern of putting big corporations over the needs of Iowa families.
Corporate sellout message:
| Iowa Values | Iowans work hard to take care of our families. We want leaders who will do what’s right so that we can do our best. |
| Define the opposition | But Governor Reynolds ignores us in favor of corporate greed. Iowans are hurting while big companies make record profits, all thanks to their corporate sellout, Kim Reynolds. |
| Call to action & tangibles we can achieve | Iowans deserve a governor who values our families and does what’s right. By standing together and holding the greedy accountable, we can create an Iowa that’s good for all of us, not just the corporations that back Governor Reynolds. |
Addressing Critical Needs for Iowa Families
We dove into the issues that matter most to Iowans. We wanted to know which topics generate the most passionate answers to ensure we engage Iowans on what is critical to them and their families.
Key Takeaways:
Every topic scored higher than our placebo, showing us that Reynolds’ agenda has made her job approval, favorability and candidacy vulnerable. Generally, Iowans responded in significant numbers to Reynolds’ failure to create access to good paying jobs, healthcare, and to her shady pattern of choosing corporations over Iowans.
However, Iowans overwhelmingly told us they want access to healthcare and leaders who will deliver on it. When given the access to care message, Reynolds candidacy on the ballot took an 11-point hit and her job approval went down 13 points.
Following access to care, Iowans showed significant movement toward the need for good-paying jobs to support working families and resources for our public schools to educate the next generation.
Thanks to our research, we know the following messages strike a cord with families in Iowa. Please utilize them when calling for policies that put working families first and invest in our communities.
Access to Healthcare:
| Iowa Values | Access to healthcare has never been more important. And as Iowans, we work hard to make sure our families are taken care of. |
| Define the opposition | But Governor Reynolds stands in the way of lower costs and our decisions. She has outsourced healthcare to private companies who get to decide whether we live or die based on profit. And she has prevented Iowans from accessing critical health care like family planning services and abortion. |
| Call to action & tangibles we can achieve | If we lead with science and listen to our doctors, we can create a health system that puts people over policies and lowers the cost to each of us. |
Working Families:
| Iowa Values | As Iowans, we value hard work and know good paying jobs help Iowa grow. |
| Define the opposition | But Governor Reynolds has failed us and fewer Iowans are working now than when she was first elected ten years ago. By blocking wage increases and siding with corporations that don’t pay enough, Reynolds is hurting our families and forcing people to leave rural Iowa. Even as workers struggle, she blames us for shortages instead of the corporations responsible. |
| Call to action & tangibles we can achieve | Investing in working families will kickstart our economy. By increasing wages and making companies pay what they owe, Iowans will finally have a chance to get ahead. |
Education Resources:
| Iowa Values | Iowans believe every child deserves an accurate, honest and quality education, no matter the color of their skin or where they call home. |
| Define the opposition | But Governor Reynolds is putting our kids at risk. She has censored teachers, driven them out of the profession and wants to send more of our tax dollars to private schools, excluding certain children from opportunities by denying their public schools the resources they need. |
| Call to action & tangibles we can achieve | By speaking up and calling on our elected officials to fully fund public schools, we can provide every child a quality education to ensure they succeed. |
