Here’s the latest news out of Iowa:
Fred Hubbell has received the endorsement of the AFSCME Council 61, the latest sign that Democratic-aligned forces are getting behind his candidacy for governor.
Hubbell topped a five-person field last week to win the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nomination.
The AFSCME union, the state’s largest representing public workers, backed state Sen. Nate Boulton in the primary, jumping in early to support the Des Moines labor attorney. When Boulton dropped out of the contest a few weeks before the June 5 primary, the union said it was too late to shift its endorsement.
On Tuesday, Danny Homan, the president of the union, said in a statement, “As far as we are concerned, the difference between the Reynolds administration and a Hubbell administration is night and day.”
Hubbell has been making trade deals a big issue in his race to unseat appointed Governor Kim Reynolds (R. IA):
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is shrinking from defending Iowa businesses in the face of a "nonsensical trade war," her Democratic rival, Fred Hubbell, said on Monday.
In a news release, Hubbell said that he would work to increase exports to markets like Canada, Mexico and China, "and I will speak out against any president, Democrat or Republican, that damages our ability to sell Iowa’s agricultural products abroad. Governor Reynolds is choosing party loyalty over Iowa’s
Hubbell's accusation that Reynolds is not doing enough comes as trade tensions escalated following the G-7 summit over the weekend, where President Donald Trump accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being "dishonest and weak."
The president has complained about Canadian policies toward U.S. dairy imports, part of a more aggressive trade posture that has targeted China, but also traditional allies.
The Trump administration has levied tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada, China and the European Union, a move Mexico responded to last week with import duties on cheese and pork.
Canada is Iowa's largest export market, followed by Mexico then Japan.
This is another major Governor race to keep our eye on and it’s a great opportunity for us. Click here to donate and get involved with Hubbell’s campaign.