Iowa primaries: Watch full Republican gubernatorial debate

[0:00] This is a KCCI Commitment 2026 special presentation, Iowa Governor Republican primary debate. [0:07] Good evening from the KCCI studios here in Des Moines. [0:11] Tonight, four Republican candidates make their case for why they should have a shot at the governor's mansion. [0:16] I'm Amanda Rooker, Chief Political Reporter for KCCI. [0:19] And I'm Dave Price, the Gray Media Iowa Political Director. [0:22] This debate is produced in partnership with the Gray Media Iowa stations, including KCRG, KTIV, and KWTC. [0:31] As we know our history here, Republicans have held the governor's mansion for about two decades now, [0:37] but there is no incumbent in the race in 2026, so this seat is wide open. [0:42] Kim Reynolds, who had been the lieutenant governor back in 2017, assumed the role of governor [0:48] when then-governor Terry Branstad stepped down to take over as the U.S. ambassador to China. [0:55] And she has been governor ever since. [0:57] That's right. Reynolds went on to win two full terms in 2018 and 2022, [1:01] but now she is stepping aside, and for the first time in about 20 years, the governor's office is wide open. [1:07] Five Republicans are now competing for their party's nomination. [1:11] Let's take a look, learn a little bit more about our candidates. [1:13] Eddie Andrews lives in Johnston. [1:15] He was first elected to the Iowa House in 2020 and is now serving his third term there. [1:21] Andrews is also a pastor and tech entrepreneur. [1:24] Zach Lane lives on a farm near Belle Plaine. [1:26] He's a business owner and farmer. [1:27] He has never held public office, but he has worked on some campaigns in the past. [1:32] Brad Sherman of Williamsburg previously served one term in the Iowa House. [1:36] He's also a pastor and was a co-founder of Informed Choices Medical Clinics. [1:40] And Adam Steen lives in Reynolds. [1:42] Governor Reynolds hired him to lead the Iowa Department of Administrative Services. [1:46] He served as the director of DAS from 2021 to 2025. [1:51] He's a pastor and a business development consultant. [1:55] Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra is also running for the Republican nomination. [1:59] He declined to join us tonight. [2:02] Now, whoever wins this Republican primary race for governor will face Democrat Rob Sand in November. [2:07] Sand currently serves as the state auditor. [2:09] And we want to tell you that the debate you're about to watch was recorded on Saturday, May the 16th. [2:15] We did this so that it would maximize the opportunity for everyone to be able to fit this into their schedules and take part. [2:24] That's right. [2:25] Now, each candidate tonight will be given 60 seconds to make an opening statement. [2:31] Before the start of this debate, candidates drew numbers. [2:33] Opening statements, questions, and closing statements will be offered in the order that they picked. [2:38] That order is Eddie Andrews, Zach Lane, Brad Sherman, Adam Steen. [2:43] Each candidate has one minute to respond to each question. [2:47] They will see a red light when they have 10 seconds left and a red flashing light when their time is up. [2:52] We, the moderators, may interrupt a candidate to redirect if someone drifts off topic. [2:56] Now, if a candidate is mentioned by their opponent, moderators may, at their discretion, allow 30 seconds for a response. [3:03] Candidates will also get 60 seconds for closing statements. [3:06] All right, so we have four candidates, 90 minutes. [3:08] So we hope that you can be as on time as you can. [3:12] Mr. Eddie Andrews, your batting leadoff here, you get 60 seconds for your opening statement. [3:16] So, first of all, thank you, Iowa. [3:19] And thank you to the hosts. [3:20] And thank you for all of you who are watching. [3:22] My name is Eddie Andrews. [3:24] I am a three-term state representative, one of the hardest-working guys at the state capitol now. [3:29] I'm a husband. [3:30] I'm a father. [3:31] I am a bilingual pastor. [3:33] Que Dios le bendiga a todos. [3:35] And I am here because Iowans want bold leadership. [3:41] Just like the, I am the first candidate in the history of Iowa to produce a plan, a solid plan, to phase out property taxes. [3:51] On day one, I will end imminent domain abuse. [3:54] I will get Iowa education back to number one where it belongs. [3:59] I will be, I will get Iowa education, excuse me, Iowa business back to number one where it also belongs. [4:08] Today, I have always been about people first. [4:11] That is my always strategy. [4:14] And I humbly ask for your vote in June 2nd. [4:17] All right, our next candidate, Zach Lane. [4:19] Thank you for putting this on. [4:20] Iowans, thank you for tuning in. [4:22] You know, our campaign is about putting Iowa first. [4:24] And since we launched this campaign, we've been really focusing on four systemic issues that our state's been facing. [4:30] Number one is that we have our kids leaving the state faster than 46 other states. [4:35] You cannot build a culture if your people are leaving. [4:38] Number two, we've lost 10,000 family farms over the past 20 years. [4:42] And now a quarter of our state is owned by people who don't live here. [4:45] Number three, when I was growing up near Sioux City, we were number one in the nation for education. [4:50] Now we are in the bottom half. [4:52] And the fourth issue that we cannot ignore anymore is that we have the fastest rate of new cancer anywhere in the history of the world. [4:58] My family's been here fighting for Iowa since my great-great-great-grandfather fought as a Hawkeye on horseback in the Civil War. [5:06] I want to carry that fight for Iowans against special interests, lobbyists, and corporate giants that have been given far too much influence in our government. [5:14] Thank you. [5:16] Brad Sherman, you're next. [5:17] It's great to be with Iowa. [5:19] Great to be with you, Dave and Amanda. [5:21] I'm running for governor. [5:22] My wife and I have been all across this state. [5:25] We've done 99 counties. [5:27] We've already accomplished that. [5:28] We've been to 390 events because we believe in the grassroots. [5:32] You know, my wife and I have four children and 13 grandchildren. [5:36] My two sons serve in the military. [5:38] One's an Iraq combat veteran. [5:40] The other's a captain in the Air Force. [5:42] And I have two daughters. [5:43] One helps us every single day a tremendous blessing. [5:46] One is watching from heaven. [5:48] And so, you know, my wife and I moved to Iowa City in 1981 to start a church. [5:52] We saw the indoctrination that was taking place. [5:54] It was undermining the foundations of our freedom. [5:56] And so that set us on a course to begin restoring those foundations of freedom. [6:01] And that's what our campaign is about, is restoring those foundations of freedom. [6:05] I have a broad range of experience besides serving in the legislature. [6:08] I'm a pastor. [6:10] I'm a patriot. [6:10] I'm principled. [6:11] And I'm proven. [6:12] And we're working hard to earn the votes of Iowans for this governor's mansion. [6:17] Adam Steen, your opening statement. [6:19] Madam, thank you, Dave. [6:20] Thank you. [6:21] My fellow Iowans, I have 18 years in the business sector. [6:24] 18 years as a business owner. [6:25] Five years running the operations of the state of Iowa. [6:28] I jumped in this race to preserve and protect the culture of Iowa. [6:32] We have a problem. [6:33] That problem is Rob Sand. [6:34] Rob Sand has been running for governor for seven years. [6:37] I had the opportunity to work with Rob Sand. [6:40] I know who Rob Sand is. [6:42] I know what he says he is. [6:43] I know what he actually is. [6:45] I know what he says he does. [6:46] I know what he actually does. [6:47] I've been solving problems inside of state government for five years. [6:50] I've been solving problems in business for 18 years. [6:53] I'm a problem solver. [6:54] I am a fixer. [6:55] Together, with your support on June 2nd, we will solve the problems that Iowa has. [7:00] Cancer, education, government spending. [7:03] Together, we will win. [7:04] Together, we will keep Iowa free. [7:06] Well, thank you all. [7:08] We want to start tonight with the cost of living. [7:10] I'm sure you all hear it. [7:12] We hear it a lot. [7:13] Iowans are struggling to afford groceries. [7:15] House and rent costs are climbing. [7:17] So are utility bills. [7:19] So, Eddie Andrews, we'll start with you. [7:21] As governor, name one thing you could do to try to make things more affordable for everyday Iowans. [7:27] Well, thank you. [7:28] Listening to thousands of Iowans and being the most visited Iowa state legislator now, [7:33] I've got to tell you, I've listened to so many Iowans, and this is a major concern, [7:39] especially among our young people who are struggling to get jobs and struggling to maintain homes. [7:45] I can tell you, first thing, on the home front, what is raising higher costs for our homes [7:53] is all these out-of-state businesses and BlackRock and Vanguard and Berkshire Hathaway buying up homes, [8:00] raising our cost of living here in Iowa. [8:03] That will end on day one in the Eddie Andrews administration. [8:07] Also providing incentives on my RED plan, rural economic development, [8:12] putting incentives in the rural part of Iowa to make sure that economy is thriving [8:17] and young people actually want to stay here. [8:19] So that is part of my plan. [8:22] Eddie, thank you. [8:22] Zach Lane, you're next. [8:23] Name one area that you could help lower the cost of living and how you do it. [8:27] Yeah, I think something that Iowans are talking about very often is property taxes in our state. [8:31] And I think we need to cut and freeze our property taxes, [8:34] but we also have to deal with the bigger issue of what's going on with rising costs. [8:38] I mean, we have a fiat currency in our country that I won't get into right now, [8:41] but we also have consolidation happening in every major industry. [8:44] If you want to know why costs keep rising, it's because consumers have less and less choice [8:49] as big business continues to consolidate and buy up more [8:53] and give our consumers less options for where they can do business, [8:56] and it's a failure of the free market. [8:58] And as Eddie just mentioned, we do have an issue with institutional investors buying up our homes. [9:04] And right here in Des Moines, single-family homes are being bought up by Blackstone. [9:08] Council Bluffs has the same issue. [9:09] I have called to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes in our state [9:13] because our state and our neighborhoods are not profit centers for Wall Street. [9:17] We can solve these problems, but we have to be willing to confront the issues [9:20] no matter what special interest or entrenched interest is behind it. [9:24] Rod Sherman, what would you do as governor to try to make things more affordable for Iowans? [9:29] Well, so much of what we do in the legislature is a Band-Aid fix. [9:33] Now, a Band-Aid is very nice when you need a Band-Aid, [9:36] but we have to start looking at the root problems of why our economy is failing. [9:40] You know, what happened during COVID was a trampling of our rights and a crippling of our economy. [9:45] So there are decisions that are being made sometimes that have drastic results. [9:51] Now, I also have a phrase in my mind that just keeps running over and over. [9:55] It's called ag and energy regions. [9:57] You know, if we start rebuilding rural Iowa and we start having ag regions where we grow the food that we eat, [10:04] we build an infrastructure, and for three years now I've been talking about getting a network of small modular reactors established [10:11] so that we have a decentralized power base, self-sufficient power base in Iowa. [10:15] You know, we can start building the infrastructure to then begin, and the network, to begin rebuilding rural Iowa [10:22] because we're an ag state. [10:23] We need to get back to that. [10:25] We need to grow the food we eat. [10:26] That plays into our health issues and everything else. [10:29] So it's a big picture plan, and there are many facets to it. [10:33] Adam Steen, what's possible at the state level to actually bring down prices for Iowans, make things more affordable? [10:39] Yeah, the beauty of my background is that anything's possible with inside of state government, [10:44] with inside of cities, counties, and schools. [10:45] From a cost-of-living perspective, I see on a regular basis the importance of putting more money [10:50] into the pockets of Iowans all across the state. [10:53] Three simple things that we can do, and they will be simple because I've done this already. [10:56] Number one, we need to crush government spending. [10:59] The government spends too much money. [11:01] Cities, counties, school boards, even the executive branch. [11:03] They spend our tax dollars. [11:05] They should be saving our tax dollars. [11:06] Number two, government regulation. [11:08] The government over-regulates, and it's crushing business. [11:11] It's crushing industry, and we can deregulate and look for areas to free up the market [11:16] for businesses to operate more successfully. [11:19] And lastly, we need more industry in this state. [11:21] Right now, we have tons of jobs that are available right now, but we need kids, [11:25] and that's why I'm going to focus on trades, skilled trades within construction, [11:28] within health care, and within the ag industry. [11:31] Right now, children all across the state of Iowa need to realize that the trades industries are cool, [11:36] and businesses that are out there right now are ready to hire them so that they can achieve the American dream right here in Iowa. [11:43] All right, let's talk about the people's money. [11:46] For the second straight year, the state is looking at a deficit of more than a billion dollars, [11:52] so Republican legislators have used some of the money that has been in surplus to fill that. [11:58] Realistically, in your first year as governor, you may have something similar like that, [12:03] unless our revenues go crazy next year or something like that. [12:07] Will your priority be to continue to use the surplus funds to make sure we have a balanced budget [12:14] like we have to here in this state, or will you make up that difference by reducing spending by quite a bit? [12:22] And, Eddie Andrews, we can start with you. [12:23] Well, I get the first one again. [12:24] Well, I can tell you that as a part of the legislature right now, these funds, the chart has been actually planned over the last five years. [12:36] We knew there was going to be a dip. [12:38] That's why we ran up the score, and we put $5 billion in the taxpayer relief fund [12:44] after putting $900 million in the rainy day fund. [12:48] However, there are two ways to save money, either by lowering your spending and driving up increasing revenue. [12:59] And as a business person, I've worked for or provided service for all the companies you know, [13:04] whether it's John Deere, Ag Leader, Corteva, Pioneer, Meritrade, so on and so forth. [13:09] And I know a little thing about unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit that we have here. [13:15] You know, the first, fifth word of the Bible is create. [13:19] In the beginning, God created. [13:20] We have that creative ability here in Iowa, and I will unleash that on day one. [13:24] All right. [13:24] So will you use surplus to make up for the gap, or how would you do it then? [13:28] Well, I think you almost have to use a part of it right now. [13:31] I don't think you can do that in one year. [13:32] But you're going to cut spending too? [13:33] We have to cut spending. [13:34] I think you have to look at a zero-based budgeting, and only the ones that pass this test, the litmus test, get advanced. [13:45] Okay. [13:45] Zach Lane, you're next. [13:46] You know, I think this is a very important question because we have spending issues. [13:51] We have revenue issues. [13:52] We have a down ag economy. [13:54] There's a lot of things that are playing into this. [13:56] We need to get off of the Taxpayer Relief Fund as soon as possible. [14:00] We need to get off of the Rainy Day Fund as soon as possible. [14:03] It's not sustainable. [14:04] There's a couple ways we can do this. [14:05] Number one, we need to know where every dollar is being spent. [14:07] I'm calling to put all government transactions publicly available online with the name of the person who approved it. [14:13] And this way, we can have thousands of citizen auditors, regardless of party, that are investigating and verifying what's being spent by the state so we know where we're wasting money. [14:22] And I think this is something that just causes the people of Iowa to just win. [14:26] Number two, what we need to be doing is looking at where we're giving away money that we shouldn't. [14:30] Right now, we're giving hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks to data centers and companies that are cutting jobs in our state. [14:36] I would first stop those giveaways, bring that money back into the state government's budget, and be able to start to fill those holes before we talk about cutting spending. [14:45] Is your first-year budget realistically smaller than the current one or not necessarily? [14:48] I think we have to look to see where we're wasting money first. [14:51] I think that's the first thing we need to look at doing. [14:53] Before we cut services of Iowans, the thing that we need to make sure we're doing is spending money responsibly. [14:58] And that's what my plan is in place to do. [15:00] Brad Sherman, you know how the sausage is made. [15:02] You were part of that process when you served in the legislature. [15:05] How do you look at this for next year's budget? [15:08] Well, as it's already been said, we knew this would be the case for the first year or two. [15:11] We're looking at the Laffer curve. [15:12] We're going to see if that kicks in and works, if it increases, you know, revenue through cutting taxes, if that happens, great. [15:20] But it's already been mentioned about data centers. [15:22] We have 105 data centers in our state, and some of the bigger ones have the most amazing tax breaks, as you can imagine. [15:27] You know, that shouldn't be happening. [15:29] Absolutely should not be happening. [15:30] Another thing is transparency. [15:32] You know, when we have transparency in how spending is taking place, then we can push all these changes to the local level. [15:39] And because one size from Des Moines doesn't fit all, you know, and so I've seen billets come out of Des Moines that hurt some counties, help other counties. [15:48] And so we need to get the transparency so the local people can see how their local people are spending money. [15:52] They can cut their budgets there in that community, and they'll know who to elect and who not to elect then once they can see how it's actually being spent. [16:01] So I think those are just the first couple of steps that can be taken. [16:04] So there's a lot that needs to be done with our, then that we can invest our revenue as well. [16:08] But so do you assume that you would have to dip into reserves these next several years as sort of planned right now? [16:14] Well, let's not say several years, possibly one year or two, but, you know, that's something we have to watch very closely. [16:19] All right, Adam, seeing your cleanup here. [16:20] Yeah, absolutely. [16:21] How would you handle this first year as governor? [16:23] Yeah, having been, again, inside the belly of the beast for five years, I oversaw state alignment, which we took 37 agencies down to 16. [16:30] And that gave me a direct line of sight into where we are spending money and where we shouldn't be spending money. [16:36] And so right out of the gate, just one area that we would explore and execute to lower costs within state government is span of control with inside of state government. [16:45] Right now, we have a lot of managers out there that don't oversee the amount of people to make it appropriate for the rest of the classifications of the state of Iowa. [16:52] We are deficit spending right now. [16:54] It doesn't mean we're in a deficit. [16:56] The key is we make sure Rob Sand does not come back into office so we end up with a Chet Culver era of literal deficits within inside the state of Iowa. [17:04] We and the state administration will increase revenue through business and industry, and we will decrease spend through crushing unnecessary spend across the state right now. [17:13] I've been there. [17:14] I've done that. [17:15] I'm ready to do it again. [17:16] Democrats, some believe there will be a Culver-like move that will be necessary. [17:22] Because the revenue gap is going to continue to be this way. [17:26] Do you disagree? [17:27] Yeah. [17:27] Having worked with Democrats and seen how they don't understand how to budget and like to spend money on a regular basis, I don't believe much of anything the Democrats say. [17:36] Well, let's move on to talk about Iowa and Iowa's population. [17:40] Right now, 70 out of Iowa's 99 counties are shrinking. [17:44] Rural Iowa has been for a long time losing people. [17:47] That includes younger workers that are leaving at a faster rate. [17:50] Eddie Andrews, what's the first thing that you would do to change that? [17:55] And we've seen plans over the past, you know, several years. [17:58] Why do you believe your plan would work? [18:00] So, thank you again for calling me first. [18:04] I love that. [18:04] It's all the way you drew it. [18:06] It keeps the math simple for us. [18:07] Oh, okay. [18:08] I thought he's explained differently. [18:09] Okay. [18:10] Reclaiming my time. [18:11] So, as I mentioned, with part of my RED plan, Rural Economic Development Plan, it really addresses the issue that's critical to our young people. [18:22] We, you know, we have so many communities that there's nothing but an elevator there. [18:26] And we have to put resources intentionally there. [18:31] I remember during COVID where I knew, I'm in the tech industry, and so I knew a lot of people who moved from California temporarily to stay in Iowa since they were coding from home anyway. [18:43] And so, why can't we just do that? [18:45] Why can't we provide incentives? [18:46] And I believe we can provide incentives and tax credits to incentivize people to start businesses, making what I call simplification of business. [18:59] And also, really on the last question, let me just also say that transparency in everything is critical. [19:09] Transparency in everything is critical, but also we have to have continual improvement. [19:13] If you were a business, a billion-dollar business, and you didn't have that like we need in the state, you'd be fired. [19:20] Exactly. [19:21] And I know you've also talked about tax incentives to keep, you know, incentives to keep people in Iowa. [19:26] Is that your plan for specifically rural communities? [19:29] How do we keep younger workers in those communities? [19:31] I think rural communities are very important, but this is a plan for the entire state. [19:34] Look, we're competing against other states, and Iowa's an amazing place to be. [19:37] And we have things that these kids that are leaving want. [19:40] You know, like I said before, we're fourth highest in the country for net out-migration. [19:44] It comes down to opportunity and what levers we have to pull as governor. [19:48] Number one, I'm calling for a moratorium on economic development dollars to the large city centers in our state. [19:53] People don't realize how little it would take to make a big difference in our rural communities. [19:57] Number two, we need to be investing in Iowa's homegrown businesses and entrepreneurs, not global companies, [20:02] and also not Chinese companies that we're propping up the Chinese government with some of our tax dollars. [20:06] We need to be investing in companies that are grown here in Iowa, that will be here for 50, 60 years. [20:12] The third thing I'd like to talk about is that I would like to set up an entrepreneurial fund within the state [20:17] to help young people that have great ideas to start good businesses. [20:21] And then lastly, what we need to talk about is how do we incentivize young people to come home. [20:26] I think an income tax rebate to help them with down payments on a home, if you'll move home, [20:30] if you've been trained in the trades or have a remote work job would be the first place to start. [20:35] Do you have a specific policy for rural areas? [20:38] I mean, under that, we could continue to see people just move to the metro. [20:42] Would that be fine for you as governor, or do you have something to address that? [20:45] Oh, no, I think this is where the lever we pull is the most important. [20:48] And on the state level, the Iowa Economic Development Authority is one of the biggest levers we can pull. [20:53] Prioritizing those dollars and those incentives to rural communities. [20:56] So when a company does want to come here, we're prioritizing a rural community. [20:59] That might be close to a population center, but also we have a great, great asset for them, [21:05] which is the workers that we have in our rural communities that will come to help them build their companies. [21:10] Prioritizing our rural communities, I think, is the key to this. [21:12] Brad Sherman, what do you do to stop rural communities from shrinking in Iowa? [21:17] Well, it's already been mentioned about family farms. [21:20] We have to rebuild our family farms again. [21:22] The big corporate entities that are gobbling up family farms need to be looked at. [21:26] We need to see if they are actually violating Chapter 9 of the Iowa Code, [21:30] where it prevents big corporate entities from owning too much land. [21:35] This is an important thing. [21:37] And then there are other big companies also that are involved in that. [21:40] Even though their names are not on the title deed of these properties, they still control it. [21:44] And so that's something we have to look at and decide. [21:46] We have antitrust laws for these types of things. [21:48] And I don't know that these things have ever been looked at in a long time. [21:51] That's an important thing. [21:51] And I think another thing that we need to do to keep people here, [21:54] comes to do with the whole life issue. [21:57] In America, we've killed 70 or 80 million babies through abortion. [22:01] Now Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and it's a big issue. [22:03] So our population is decreased partly because of that. [22:07] That's part of the equation. [22:09] It's not the whole picture, but it's a part of the picture. [22:11] So we need to encourage families, encourage us again. [22:14] And when we rebuild our families and people begin cohesing together, it's going to help a lot. [22:17] Adam Steen, what's your plan? [22:19] Yeah, I've been traveling this state now for nine months, [22:22] and I've been talking about the skilled trades industry. [22:25] When I talk about skilled trades, I talk about construction trades. [22:28] I talk about health care trades. [22:29] I talk about agriculture trades. [22:31] And at the end of the day, we need more public-private partnerships. [22:34] We need young kids in sixth, seventh, eighth grade, [22:37] more involved in vocational studies, industrial arts, [22:39] so that they realize when they leave high school, [22:41] they don't have to go to a four-year university [22:43] and hopefully don't come out as a communist [22:45] with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. [22:48] They can get a job right in their backyard. [22:50] They can make $60,000 a year with no debt whatsoever, [22:53] and the American dream can be achievable. [22:55] We need those public-private partnerships, [22:57] and we need focus on local control. [22:59] We need local communities to make these decisions [23:02] because locals know where the opportunities are. [23:04] Let me give you one example. [23:05] I was in Esterville, Iowa, at the Iowa Lakes Aviation Institute. [23:09] They said we need 24 more students so that we can get this federal grant. [23:13] And I said if you talk to the homeschoolers that are out there, [23:16] they didn't know the homeschool program existed. [23:18] We made the connections. [23:19] Now Iowa Lakes Aviation Institute has an opportunity [23:22] to bring homeschoolers in to be pilots [23:25] and take care of a global pilot shortage that's coming our way. [23:28] We're going to move on. [23:29] The Iowa Business Council is among the business organizations [23:32] that has talked about the need for immigrants [23:35] to be part of our workforce in this state. [23:38] As you all know, we have dealt with a workforce shortage [23:41] in key areas for a number of years here. [23:43] We want to focus on just one aspect of this, [23:47] and that would be legal temporary foreign workers. [23:50] As we know, they are used in agriculture, [23:53] health care, business education, among others. [23:56] Eddie Andrews, since you stay, is our leadoff hitter here. [23:59] Let's do it. [23:59] Do you support people working in Iowa [24:02] with some kind of temporary legal status to work here? [24:09] Now with that, just before I answer, [24:11] is that different than what we have now? [24:14] Are you seeing a new program? [24:16] You're the gov. [24:17] You can do whatever you want. [24:18] No, no. [24:18] I want to understand what your question is. [24:20] Sure. [24:21] We're looking, you know, [24:22] we've seen what's going on with deportation, [24:24] so I don't want to get into that aspect of it. [24:26] I think you all have been supportive of deporting people [24:29] who have committed crimes in this country. [24:31] We're talking about some of our industries in this country [24:34] rely on temporary foreign workers to fill some of those gaps, [24:39] whether it's health care, ag, education, business, what have you. [24:42] Do you support us continuing to do that? [24:46] Some of that's changed on the federal level. [24:48] But do you support us, keep doing that, [24:51] or do you have other ideas in mind? [24:52] So as a person here who's co-pastored a Hispanic church, [24:56] who's worked with the Congolese community, [24:59] a number of communities who are here, [25:02] both from their international relations and other areas, [25:06] I've actually helped people get legal immigration status. [25:11] If you're talking about, like, foreign education visas [25:16] or things like that, [25:17] I think, I'm not sure that's the way to go [25:21] because there are plenty of jobs here. [25:23] I talked to a young lady who's, like, 20 years old. [25:29] Literally 150 applications, she put it, [25:31] and she's just looking for a reasonable wage. [25:34] And so I think we do need to prioritize Iowans [25:37] and Americans here. [25:41] And as people come and are welcoming [25:45] and assimilated into our society [25:47] and become Americans second. [25:49] Zach Lane, you have a commercial up about this topic in Partial, [25:54] but you, in the ad, talk about H-1B visas, [25:58] and you don't want that part of the university setting. [26:00] As you know, in education and health care, [26:03] community leaders say those are vital. [26:05] So why would you change that? [26:06] Well, I think first, what we have to understand [26:08] is that we're a welcoming country. [26:09] We have been a welcoming country. [26:11] The United States of America has done more [26:13] to welcome people than I think any other country in the world. [26:16] But the issue is that many of these programs [26:18] have been abused for far too long, [26:19] and the left has abused them on purpose for a very long time. [26:24] Right now, the H-1B program [26:25] is one of the most abused immigration programs that we have. [26:29] I'm calling to completely end H-1B hiring [26:31] in our state universities and our state government. [26:33] As a matter of fact, [26:34] if you want a state contract with the state of Iowa, [26:37] it's going to be given as part of the ranking [26:39] is how many Iowans you're hiring. [26:41] And it's going to be inversely correlated [26:42] to how many H-1Bs you have. [26:44] The reason is Iowa people will do these jobs. [26:46] I reject the idea that our people won't do these jobs. [26:49] We have some of the most hardworking kids in the country. [26:52] You go to any other state [26:53] and you graduate from an Iowa high school or Iowa college, [26:55] you give them a resume that says you're from Iowa. [26:57] What do they say? [26:58] We love hiring Iowans. [26:59] I want to be hiring those Iowans here. [27:01] It's why we need to bring our kids back home. [27:03] And that's what I'm going to be fighting for as governor. [27:05] Brad Sherman, do you agree? [27:06] Should we cut that off? [27:08] Well, when migrant workers have been part of our history [27:11] for a long, long time, [27:12] as long as it's legal and they're tracked, [27:14] there's a place for it. [27:15] But I agree also with what Zach said. [27:18] You know, we have to really cut the corruption down [27:22] from these things like H-1B and what have you. [27:24] I've done some study on that, [27:25] and that is a huge problem. [27:27] That's part of what happens in Minnesota. [27:29] We've got, you know, the corruption we saw up there. [27:31] And I think we're a little naive [27:32] to think none of that is happening in Iowa. [27:34] I don't think we're as bad as Minnesota. [27:35] But we have to get some transparency [27:38] in looking into that to make sure we fix that. [27:41] And so I know there are some farms that are doing, [27:43] I know of one farm that's doing [27:45] almost 50,000 acres of organic farming. [27:48] And so they have to have a lot of manual labor [27:50] to take care of their crops and what have you. [27:53] So, you know, you can't cut it off right away, [27:55] but I'm all for growing our population, [27:57] getting our people working. [27:59] And that's, I think, when we do that, [28:00] you know, we're going to see Iowa thrive. [28:01] Adam Steen, how do you balance our workforce needs [28:06] with some of these ideas about maybe not allowing [28:09] at least as many foreign-born workers in here? [28:12] Yeah. [28:12] Well, first of all, we need to be America first. [28:14] We need to be Iowa first. [28:16] And I appreciate what President Trump is doing right here [28:18] all across the country. [28:19] I think for the first time in a long time, [28:21] we have a president that legitimately cares about America. [28:23] He legitimately cares about people. [28:25] And right now, I appreciate what he's doing. [28:27] If you are here illegally, you self-report, you leave, [28:30] you come back legally, you get your job, [28:32] and then you pay taxes and you join the society that we're in. [28:36] And I would support that. [28:37] And I want to make sure that everyone is very clear. [28:39] In a Steen administration, it will be law and order, [28:42] and we will follow what President Trump is doing [28:44] from a legal perspective. [28:45] In a Rob Sand administration, [28:48] if Rob Sand is the governor of the state of Iowa, [28:50] he supported the hiring of criminal illegal alien Ian Roberts. [28:55] He supported him coming in and overseeing [28:57] the largest school district in the state of Iowa. [28:59] That is egregious. [29:00] That puts our families and our children at risk. [29:02] In a Steen administration, it will be law, [29:05] it will be order, and we'll make sure those [29:07] that are here illegally have an opportunity to come back [29:09] if they're not a criminal so that we can grow [29:11] our economy across the state. [29:12] But we're specifically talking about temporary legal status [29:15] for foreign-born workers. [29:17] How does that fit in? [29:18] If they self-report, and they're here legally, [29:21] and we know that, and we are tracking them, [29:24] and they're paying taxes, I'm all for it. [29:27] All right, we're going to take a break here. [29:28] Obviously, a lot more to get to as we come up. [29:33] Cancer, water quality, a lot of things. [29:35] Public health in general, we're going to ask each candidate [29:38] where they stand on some of the top concerns for Iowans. [29:41] We'll be right back after this break. [29:45] Keep going. Give us more of the... [29:46] You're watching KCCI Commitment 2026 Iowa Governor Republican primary debate. [31:24] And welcome back to the Iowa Republican primary debate [31:28] here in the KCCI studios in downtown Des Moines. [31:31] We want to focus on a topic that I know all of you gentlemen hear about a lot, [31:34] and that would be this rising cancer rate that we've been dealing with [31:37] that's already come up so far during this conversation. [31:39] Our state has one of the highest cancer rates in the country. [31:43] Now, you all have addressed this in previous ways. [31:46] You all have called for the need for independent research. [31:50] So moving beyond that, if you're Governor, Eddie Andrews, [31:54] what would you do in your first 100 days to address this [31:57] before any new research can be done? [32:00] Well, before new research, hopefully that will also include pediatric research, [32:05] which I've been fighting for, as you know. [32:07] There are a couple things. [32:08] We can address screening. [32:09] We can address radon, providing reduced or a means-tested way [32:17] to provide radon kits in every home, every apartment home. [32:21] And when I talk about screening, obviously being number two in cancer [32:26] is absolutely a phenomenal issue that we must fix. [32:29] We have to fix that. [32:31] While free screenings or supplemented screenings can't solve the cancer, [32:36] it can certainly detect it earlier and minimize those. [32:39] So in the state legislature, we've been working on some of those solutions right now. [32:44] But before you start spending tens of millions of dollars, [32:47] you have to have adequate research. [32:49] And that's been my first passion of actually getting the correct data in front of us. [32:56] Zach Lane, you're a governor. [32:58] Let's say your first 100 days, [33:00] what's the first concrete step that you take on addressing Iowa's cancer crisis? [33:04] First, I think we need to just tell the truth about what's going on here [33:07] and that we are not just number two in cancer in the country. [33:10] We are the fastest rate of new cancer ever recorded in history. [33:13] That's not hyperbole. [33:14] 212 jurisdictions count it. [33:16] We are rising faster than any other ever have. [33:19] So there's a couple of things. [33:20] Independent research is important because federal agencies have been captured for a very long time [33:24] and the people that are being regulated are the ones actually providing some of the science, [33:28] a lot of the science. [33:29] Number two, no immunity. [33:31] No company should ever have immunity from liability. [33:33] I would veto any pesticide immunity bill that would come up. [33:37] We have to be willing to address that a lot of this is coming [33:39] because we've been lied to for a very long time by big agricultural companies. [33:43] And our farmers are also getting sick. [33:45] Kids in rural areas have 36% higher cancer rates in the state of Iowa. [33:50] We need to solve this alongside our farmers, not on their backs. [33:54] We need to work with them to help make them healthier [33:56] and help solve the cancer crisis, which is coming from many different areas. [33:59] Agriculture is just one. [34:00] When you say tell the truth, I mean, are you holding forums as governor? [34:05] Are you putting ads up on TV? [34:06] Are you just saying when questions, you know, come up, you answer them with that platform? [34:11] I think this is one of the biggest voices you can have in the state right here. [34:14] And I've been talking about this on the campaign since we launched. [34:17] There are special interests that have been protecting their bottom line [34:20] and large corporations that have been refusing to take responsibility [34:24] for the safety of their products. [34:25] And we have to tell the truth so we can talk to the people about what's going on [34:28] because they know what's going on. [34:29] You go to any community, they know why we have an outlier cancer rate. [34:33] But where politicians have not been talking about the real issues for far too long, [34:37] and as governor, truth will be number one. [34:40] Brad Sherman, if you were governor before any new, [34:42] if you organized a task force of independent researchers, [34:45] before that comes back, what's the first action you would take on this? [34:49] Well, recently we talked with the American Cancer Society, [34:52] and we asked them, you know, what was going on with the whole cancer rates. [34:56] And all they could mention, the people that we talked to, [34:58] all they could mention was smoking and radon. [35:01] It didn't bring up anything else. [35:02] Now, that's very suspicious to me. [35:04] You know, we have to have research. [35:06] Now, you mentioned the first 100 days. [35:07] I'm planning on working on that before the first 100 days. [35:10] I want to get a team in place who can do the kind of research. [35:13] I was the first guy in this race, [35:14] and I was the first one talking about independent research, [35:16] somebody that does not have a dog in the hunt, as they say. [35:20] And so we have to have, [35:21] because there's a serious level of mistrust in our public [35:24] toward the medical establishment. [35:26] And so we have to get the kind of research that's done [35:29] by totally independent people that have no conflict of interest. [35:34] Once we have that data, then we can, [35:36] it'll be pretty easy to know what to do. [35:37] Now, there are some things we can already do. [35:39] Like, we can help provide radon test kits. [35:42] That hasn't gotten much attention. [35:43] It needs more attention. [35:45] But that's just one form of cancer. [35:46] You know, for lung cancer. [35:48] So that's my, my minute is up. [35:51] Can I just add, [35:52] he's not the only one talking about independent research. [35:56] Yeah, we said, you all have called for that. [35:59] Adam Steen, besides the independent research, what would you do? [36:02] Yeah, well, as I've mentioned many times, [36:04] this topic is very near and dear to my heart. [36:06] This July, it will be five or four years [36:08] since my dad passed away of cancer. [36:10] My mom is a breast cancer survivor. [36:12] And I don't need to wait 100 days. [36:14] I worked within government for long enough to know [36:17] that the first thing I'm going to do on day one [36:19] is set up a specific enterprise [36:21] within the Department of Administrative Services [36:23] to tackle this issue and to stop cancer in its tracks. [36:27] DAS became known as a special, special projects, [36:30] problem solver with inside of state government. [36:32] We tackled some of the largest projects [36:34] the state has ever tried to complete. [36:36] We did it successfully. [36:37] We did it on time. [36:38] We did it under budget. [36:39] So I'll do that on day one. [36:41] Then we will bring in the private and public sector [36:43] to make sure that we have smart people at the table [36:46] giving us real answers [36:47] so that we can come up with real solutions. [36:49] And then we're going to fund it. [36:50] We're going to fund it appropriately [36:51] so that those solutions that are at the table can be funded. [36:54] We can actually get them solved. [36:55] This will be Iowa's moon mission. [36:57] This is going to take time. [36:58] This is going to take a lot of time, [36:59] a lot of effort, a lot of energy. [37:00] But we are Iowans. [37:02] And when we solve this problem, [37:04] other states are going to ask us how we did it. [37:06] Adam, when you say you're going to fund it appropriately, [37:08] can you give me a number of what you commit annually as a state? [37:11] So right now, from a funding perspective, [37:14] Texas funds cancer research at $300 million a year. [37:17] Iowa is now increasing its cancer funding right now. [37:20] So we need to be somewhere above the million dollars [37:23] that we were spending. [37:24] But just throwing out a number, I don't want to do that. [37:26] But it needs to be above a million dollars [37:28] and it needs to be somewhere in the range [37:30] of less than $300 million. [37:31] Because we here in Iowa, we can do it [37:33] with public-private partnerships. [37:35] As you all know, it's not just one thing causing all of this. [37:39] So specifically, do you believe that there are environmental conditions working [37:46] that are causing some of this? [37:48] And some of these are very multifaceted. [37:50] But do you believe that that is happening? [37:52] And what do you do about that? [37:53] Well, I think so. [37:54] I mean, I think it's pretty clear. [37:55] Most of us kind of automatically assume with all the chemicals. [37:59] But one of the things that came back from the initial result, [38:03] which was surprising, is that farmers have a lower rate of cancer, [38:08] which was a little surprising. [38:10] And so we're still digging into that. [38:11] Now, I had the pleasure, and I say interesting pleasure, [38:16] of introducing a young lady, Marie Post, 10 years old, [38:20] who was a pediatric cancer advocate for her brother Troy. [38:27] Twin brother, I believe. [38:28] And when I introduced her at the statehouse, [38:33] I was torn because I was so proud of this young lady. [38:38] But we as adults have to get to the root of this [38:41] so she can get back to playing with dolls and recess. [38:44] And so all of this has to... [38:48] We understand we cannot have liability protection [38:51] for the people who are possibly causing glyphosate-based cancer. [38:58] Zach Lane, you've talked about some of that as well, [39:01] especially with glyphosate. [39:02] If you believe that there are environmental conditions here at play causing this, [39:07] how do you stop that, and how do you protect people from that exposure? [39:10] Well, there's absolutely environmental conditions at play, absolutely. [39:13] I mean, Iowa's an outlier in this entire situation. [39:16] The question is, why are we an outlier? [39:18] You know, people talk a lot about radon. [39:19] Radon was deposited in Iowa from glaciers. [39:21] Mitigation has only gotten better. [39:23] But we look at other things that we're seeing, [39:26] things like high nitrate load in water. [39:28] High nitrates are one of the top causes of coelorectal cancer, [39:30] and colon cancer is one of the fastest-killing cancers. [39:33] And the same thing with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. [39:35] You can also find that there are many products [39:39] that are used in agricultural settings that even cause melanoma. [39:42] Look, we know these are environmental in nature. [39:44] But I would want to just mention one thing. [39:46] That report that came out that said farmers have lower instances of cancer, [39:49] that's not actually what it says. [39:51] What it says is they have lower total cancer, [39:53] and what that's attributed to, per the report, [39:55] is a healthy lifestyle factor. [39:57] When you look at the specific cancers that are caused by these products, [40:00] they are actually much higher in their cancer rate. [40:03] We have to do this because for a long time, [40:05] large companies have been lying to our farmers about the safety of their products, [40:08] and we need to get truth on our side. [40:10] So, Brad Sherman, if you believe that there are more causes than, you know, [40:16] smoking, drinking too much, not having a sedentary lifestyle, [40:19] not eating right, those kind of things, [40:21] if there are some other environmental factors at play here, [40:24] how do you address that as governor? [40:26] Well, I have this phrase running through my mind, [40:28] and it's always there, and it's, [40:30] if we heal our soil, we will heal Iowa. [40:33] And so I've been, I've visited some farms [40:35] that are doing regenerative farming, organic farming, et cetera, [40:39] and I saw, and one experiment I saw was absolutely eye-opening. [40:42] The structure of healthy soil holds water. [40:45] It doesn't let it run off. [40:47] It prevents flooding, prevents erosion. [40:49] It takes care of nitrates because it sits there, [40:51] and it gets absorbed naturally. [40:52] You know, there's just a whole range of benefits [40:54] that come from a healthy soil. [40:56] The food that gets grown there doesn't have to have the chemicals. [40:59] Compare that to the soil that's scorched by just continual row cropping, [41:03] and, you know, the soil just has no structure, [41:05] and that's a big problem that we have to deal with. [41:07] Now, when I was in the house, [41:08] I had a lobbyist come to me and said, you know, [41:11] about getting immunity for the chemical companies, [41:13] and I said, save your breath, buddy. [41:14] I'm not voting for this one. [41:16] You know, nobody gets immunity. [41:17] And then the other thing, of course, [41:18] that we have to do is when we come to the chemicals, [41:21] I know one chemist who literally said glyphosate also has formaldehyde in it. [41:25] It could be removed easily, [41:26] but that formaldehyde we know is a cause of cancer. [41:30] Thank you. [41:30] Adam Steen. [41:31] Yeah. [41:31] I don't lay this all on the backs of farmers. [41:34] I mean, I spent a lot of time researching, [41:37] talking to people that are a lot smarter than me. [41:38] My wife sits on the board at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines. [41:41] She's the former chair of the board of John Stoddard Cancer. [41:43] We're not a family that just sits back and says things for political purposes. [41:48] What we do is we solve problems. [41:50] And so I went out and I talked to the Iowa Cancer Consortium. [41:52] I talked to doctors here in Des Moines that are medical researchers. [41:57] They will not vote for me. [41:59] They will not donate to me. [42:00] But I wanted to know from their perspective what we need to do. [42:03] We have radon issues. [42:04] We have smoking issues. [42:05] We spend too much time inside. [42:06] We eat too much processed foods. [42:08] We don't live a healthy lifestyle across the board. [42:11] And so what we need to do within the enterprise that I'm going to create inside of DAS [42:16] is bring out the facts, bring out the truth, [42:19] and create a strategic plan that's going to attack these issues [42:22] so that we can create healthy lifestyles here in Iowa [42:25] and we can stop cancer in its tracks. [42:27] The other thing we're going to do is we're going to fund private well testing. [42:31] Private wells all across the state need to be tested [42:33] because that's one area that we're not talking about that we need to. [42:38] Well, I know we have talked about environmental conditions [42:40] and also about water quality. [42:41] We want to get to that issue as well. [42:44] We just saw that the state committed more than $300 million [42:46] over 12 years to trying to improve water quality. [42:49] However, most of that is dealing with water that is already contaminated. [42:54] So, Eddie Andrews, what do you do to try to treat and stop pollutants [42:59] from getting into Iowa's water sources in the first place [43:02] and does that require regulation at the state level? [43:04] Oh, I think it does require some amount of regulation [43:07] and direction from the state. [43:09] I would just add that towards the very end of our session, [43:13] I think you were there, [43:14] we did, as a state legislature, [43:17] begin that whole process of adding additional funds, [43:21] a lot of funding for water quality issues, [43:25] for measurement, for supporting IDOLS better, [43:31] for all these different programs. [43:33] And so, we're already started. [43:35] And I would say, just because this is a Republican primary, [43:38] I would just like to add that many of the things that we proposed, [43:43] even in the Iowa legislature, [43:44] things that were on, [43:46] something that should be a bipartisan issue, [43:48] the Republicans did all this, [43:51] and I think almost every Democrat voted against it. [43:53] And so, I think that's very telling [43:55] that Republicans have actually been leading on this issue, [44:00] which in many cases, [44:02] people think is more of a left-leaning issue. [44:05] So, I would continue to do that and pour on the gas. [44:09] Zach, when it comes to stopping pollutants [44:12] from getting into Iowa's waterways and drinking water sources, [44:15] how do you do that and what would enforcement look like at the state level? [44:20] Well, number one, I would just say that clean water is at the top of the list [44:23] of things Iowans should just be able to count on. [44:25] Clean water, safe communities, good schools. [44:28] A lot of my campaign is about things Iowans should just be able to count on. [44:31] And so, when we look at the water quality issues, [44:33] to answer your question directly, we know how to stop it. [44:36] You know, right now, up near Bear Creek in Ames, [44:39] Iowa State did a experiment where they used saturated buffers [44:42] to tie into tile lines coming off of farms. [44:46] And when they did that, they removed 100% of the nitrate load [44:49] that was coming off of there. [44:50] The other thing we can do is start to incentivize [44:52] different types of nitrogen application for our farmers. [44:54] Refundable tax credits, I'm calling for, [44:57] for deep banding or knifing in nitrogen. [44:59] Farmers do not want to lose their inputs. [45:02] And right now, we're losing 30 to 50%. [45:04] So, by providing refundable tax credits, [45:07] they'll put it on cost parity, [45:08] we're actually able to save them money, [45:11] help them, you know, have higher profit margins on their farms, [45:14] live healthier lives, because they're drinking the water too. [45:17] We have ways we can solve this. [45:18] The answer is to come together to do it. [45:20] It's not a left or right issue. [45:21] We cannot allow this to be a partisan issue. [45:24] Brad Sherman, what do you think about all this? [45:26] Well, I already mentioned the healthy soil in the last question. [45:29] I think that's, again, one of the biggest things we can do for water quality. [45:32] We need the water not to run off. [45:34] We need the natural result of getting rid of those nitrates. [45:38] Now, you know, when I was in the State House, [45:40] I brought in the State Geologists to our committee, [45:42] the Natural Resources Committee, [45:43] and that initiated a discussion, [45:46] which ultimately, I think, in this past session, [45:47] ended up in money being allocated to map our water tables, [45:52] map our aquifers in our state. [45:54] There was no mapping done. [45:55] So we have to understand that's a big thing too for our drinking water. [45:58] Now, I know that's because even our aquifers are getting contaminated at times. [46:02] So we have to map it. [46:03] We have to test it and then find out where that's coming from. [46:05] So this is a big issue as well when it comes to water quality. [46:09] But, again, I just can't emphasize the importance enough of getting back to, [46:13] you know, healthy soil. [46:15] And, you know, there are lots of steps we can take in between, [46:17] you know, biofilters, you know, [46:20] the ponds that people are building to hold water [46:21] so it doesn't run off so quickly, et cetera. [46:23] So these are all important steps that we can take, [46:25] and we have to use every resource we have. [46:28] On that healthy soils plan that you have, [46:30] is that something that you would require at a state level, [46:33] or would it be voluntary or incentivized? [46:36] Well, I don't think you can require that. [46:38] You can. [46:39] I'd rather see it done voluntary. [46:41] I think that's the first step is ask people to educate people. [46:43] You know, it's always about education. [46:45] I think Iowans want to do the right thing. [46:48] Nobody's guilty here. [46:49] We just have to educate people, [46:51] do the research that finds the answers to these problems, [46:54] and then pass that information along, [46:57] and people will do the right thing. [46:58] Adam Steen, when it comes to stopping pollutants [47:00] from getting into Iowa's waterways, [47:02] what would your plan be as governor? [47:04] Yeah, well, there are three immediate things that we can do [47:06] that we're doing right now, and it's actually working. [47:08] One is buffer strips, two is cover crops, [47:11] and three is looking at adjusting the timing of phosphates onto our soils. [47:15] That's actually working. [47:16] It's running through IDOLs right now, [47:17] so I see no reason why we wouldn't continue to work with that program [47:21] because farmers are doing what they can. [47:23] What I feel from an Iowan perspective, [47:25] having been in Iowa in my entire life, [47:27] having been an innovator my entire life, [47:29] is I believe that as we do the buffer strips of cover crops [47:32] and look at timing of phosphates, [47:33] we need to look at government regulation [47:35] and see what is getting in front of innovation [47:37] here in the state of Iowa. [47:39] There are innovators right now that have different products, [47:41] different services that they can use [47:42] that's going to bolster the ability [47:44] to keep nitrates out of our water, [47:46] and when you combine that with what's already working, [47:49] we're going to solve the issue [47:50] and we can move on to bigger and better things. [47:52] That transitions into the next phase of this, [47:56] and big picture as you look at all of this, [47:59] you have some people who want this all done primarily [48:02] on a voluntary basis. [48:04] Some people think that more regulation would be required [48:07] to force this to happen more quickly. [48:10] Eddie Andrews, if we could start with you. [48:12] Can you explain to people, [48:13] and maybe this is more of a philosophical question, [48:15] but where does regulation come into this, [48:18] or do you just lean into people's civic responsibility [48:23] that they want to do this voluntarily [48:24] because you share the vision with them? [48:26] Well, I think Iowans want to do the right things. [48:29] You know, I met two days ago at 6.15 in the morning [48:33] at a farmer's meeting at a Casey's, [48:36] and this topic came up, [48:38] and one of the farmers just said, [48:41] you know what, we're all in this. [48:43] Why don't we just continue these kinds of conversations? [48:47] Now, me personally, [48:48] as a traditional conservative Republican, [48:52] no, I don't believe in essential mandates, [48:55] unnecessary mandates, [48:56] but I think most people, [48:58] once you have this conversation [49:00] and you talk about regenerative farming, [49:02] you talk about buffering, [49:03] you talk about solutions that actually work, [49:06] people want to do this. [49:07] I mean, we're all in this together. [49:09] We want a healthier environment, [49:11] and so everyone is on board. [49:14] That's what I've seen as we educate [49:16] and continue to work together. [49:17] But if everybody wants to do it, [49:19] why aren't they already doing it? [49:20] Well, I think leadership and education. [49:25] I mean, we are still working on, [49:27] if you listen to Secretary Mike Naig, [49:29] I mean, we started the Nutrient Reduction Program. [49:32] It is, I would say, working. [49:35] It takes time, [49:37] but we have tons more to do. [49:41] Zach Lane, [49:41] part of what the legislature passed [49:43] in those wee early hours [49:45] in that marathon weekend [49:46] when they wrapped things up [49:47] was, I believe, [49:49] $25 million for Central Iowa Water Works [49:52] for nitrate removal [49:53] over the next three years. [49:55] Doesn't that show [49:56] that voluntary efforts [49:57] do not work well enough [49:58] if they're having to pull [49:59] so much nitrate out? [50:02] Well, I think that, number one, [50:03] that's a Band-Aid solution [50:05] for the problem that we have. [50:06] You know, as one of the ways [50:08] I'm going to judge success as governor [50:09] is that we don't have to upgrade [50:10] those systems anymore. [50:11] I just toured the system this week. [50:13] Let me say this. [50:14] It doesn't have to be [50:14] as much about regulation [50:15] as, I think, incentives. [50:17] Iowans do want to do the right things. [50:19] Farmers are on break-even margins right now, [50:21] so they can't experiment [50:22] with different ways [50:23] to solve this problem, [50:24] even though they want to do that. [50:26] Look, this is a way bigger issue [50:27] than we think about. [50:28] I often talk about [50:29] the issue of kids leaving the state [50:31] and the issue of the cancer crisis. [50:33] Look, I've said very clearly, [50:36] you know, I'm all for low taxes, [50:37] low regulation, [50:38] but if our kids are leaving [50:39] and our people are getting cancer, [50:41] we're not winning. [50:42] That's not a winning scenario in our state. [50:44] So I actually believe [50:45] that once we start to solve these issues, [50:47] even with state incentives, [50:49] that we're going to see [50:50] more people want to stay in our state [50:52] and live in our state, [50:53] and we're going to see [50:53] increased revenues to our government. [50:55] This is a pro-life issue [50:56] for the people of Iowa, [50:57] and it's something that we can solve [50:59] along with farmers [51:00] and people in urban communities [51:01] that are part of what's going on as well. [51:04] I want to make sure I understand [51:05] what you're saying properly. [51:06] The $25 million they allocated, [51:08] they should not have done that? [51:10] No, I'm saying that [51:11] that's an indication [51:12] that we are going [51:13] the wrong direction still. [51:14] Meaning, if we were reducing [51:16] the amount of nitrate load [51:17] in our water, [51:17] we wouldn't need to continually [51:18] upgrade our system. [51:20] I was just talking to them [51:20] about this at Des Moines Water Works [51:22] this week. [51:23] And so I think the evidence [51:24] that we're moving [51:25] in the right direction [51:25] is that we never have to upgrade [51:26] that system again, [51:28] and that would be my goal [51:28] as governor, [51:29] is to decrease the nitrate load [51:31] in the water in the future [51:32] so we have less stress [51:34] on that system. [51:35] Brad Sherman, [51:36] so how do you balance [51:37] what should be voluntary, [51:39] what should be, [51:40] what if anything more [51:41] should be mandatory? [51:42] Well, you know, [51:43] here we are in our 250th year [51:44] of this nation, [51:45] and right in our Declaration [51:46] of Independence, [51:47] it says, [51:47] we hold these truths [51:48] to be self-evident, [51:49] that all men are created equal [51:50] and they're endowed [51:50] by their creator [51:51] with certain unable rights [51:52] that are life, liberty, [51:54] pursuit of happiness. [51:55] Now, this is a life issue. [51:57] And it goes on and says, [51:59] and to secure these rights, [52:00] governments are instituted among men. [52:01] It is the job of government. [52:03] To protect life. [52:04] That is one of government's [52:05] primary jobs, [52:07] according to this nation [52:08] and our birth certificate. [52:09] So, yes, [52:10] government has to get involved. [52:11] Now, we can do lots [52:13] of different things [52:13] to educate people [52:14] and make it voluntary, [52:15] but when lives are being threatened, [52:17] government has to step in. [52:18] So, I think there's a balance there [52:20] that we have to find. [52:21] We don't want to force people, [52:22] but there is a place [52:24] for government to step in [52:25] and regulate and say, [52:26] we have to protect life. [52:27] Adam Steen, [52:28] how do you define that balance? [52:30] By and large, [52:32] I hate government regulation. [52:34] I think the government [52:34] has usurped its authority [52:36] and it jumps into areas [52:37] that it shouldn't jump into. [52:38] It spends money [52:39] where it shouldn't spend money. [52:40] I believe in our farmers. [52:41] I believe in Iowans. [52:43] I believe they're doing [52:43] what they're called to do. [52:44] And I believe that they're doing [52:45] everything they can do [52:46] to protect their families [52:48] and the families across Iowa. [52:49] I mean, we feed the world. [52:50] That's who we are as Iowans. [52:52] We're not going to back down from that. [52:54] I believe that if we over-regulate, [52:56] we're going to be just like Rob Sand. [52:57] Can you imagine, Iowa, [52:59] if Rob Sand is your governor [53:01] and the regulation [53:02] that he's going to put on [53:03] through every single department [53:04] across this state, [53:06] including the DNR, [53:07] you're not going to be able [53:08] to get any work done [53:09] because the Democrats [53:10] and Rob Sand believe [53:11] that the government [53:12] knows what to do. [53:13] The government does not know [53:14] what to do. [53:14] I've been inside [53:15] the belly of the beast. [53:16] I know the government [53:17] doesn't know what to do. [53:18] We need the private sector [53:19] to continue to innovate, [53:20] to continue to create, [53:22] and continue to create opportunities [53:23] for Iowans to remain safe [53:25] and to solve the problems [53:26] that we've got right now. [53:27] Where are Iowa companies [53:28] hamstrung on the regulations [53:30] to improve this? [53:31] So right now, [53:32] through the DNR, [53:32] there are antiquated rules [53:34] right now that don't allow [53:35] proper testing for innovation [53:38] up in northwest Iowa right now. [53:39] There's products and services [53:40] that Iowa farmers can use [53:43] right now that would spot check [53:44] where nitrates are being put on [53:46] too much or too little [53:47] within their fields. [53:49] DNR regulation does not allow [53:51] that product and that service [53:52] to exist, [53:53] and we need to get rid [53:53] of those regulations. [53:55] Well, we do want to get [53:56] to more topics, [53:57] continue talking about public health. [53:59] We'll be right back [54:00] after this short break. [54:01] Watching KCCI Commitment 2026, [55:36] Iowa Governor Republican [55:37] Primary Debate. [55:40] Welcome back to our primary debate, [55:41] our final half hour. [55:43] We're going to squeeze in [55:44] as much as we can here, gents. [55:45] And we want to talk about [55:46] the issue of eminent domain. [55:48] It's one that you all have addressed [55:50] pretty frequently in this primary race. [55:52] I believe that you all have called [55:54] for banning the use of eminent domain [55:56] for carbon capture pipelines. [55:59] However, the ethanol industry says [56:01] if that pipelines did not go through, [56:05] they would struggle to stay competitive. [56:07] About 60% of Iowa corn goes to ethanol. [56:10] Eddie Andrews, [56:11] how do you think about the balance [56:12] between protecting property rights [56:15] and not hamstringing that industry [56:17] from being competitive? [56:19] Well, even if you think [56:20] that corn prices are going to rise [56:23] through the roof, [56:24] if you think this carbon capture pipeline [56:27] is the best thing since sliced bread, [56:28] it still does not allow you [56:33] to take someone's private property. [56:36] And let me just say, [56:37] under no circumstances [56:38] is there a compromise possible. [56:40] All this talk about getting together [56:42] and singing Kumbaya [56:46] and talking about this, [56:48] time's over for that. [56:50] You cannot, [56:52] two things will happen. [56:53] You either take somebody's land [56:55] against their will [56:56] or we stop you [56:59] from taking their land [57:00] against the will. [57:01] And it goes right to the, [57:03] what Brad mentioned. [57:04] He quoted, [57:06] life, liberty, [57:07] pursuit of happiness, [57:08] which includes property [57:09] and it's government's job [57:12] to protect your property. [57:13] And so on day one, [57:15] that will end [57:16] under Eddie Andrews' administration. [57:18] Zach Lane, [57:19] how do you balance [57:20] protecting property rights [57:21] and Iowa's biofuels industry? [57:22] You know, [57:23] a lot of my campaigns [57:24] have been about [57:24] preserving Iowa's culture. [57:26] And you know, [57:26] I think when I talk to people [57:27] about this, [57:28] I often talk about [57:29] why our ancestors [57:29] came to the state [57:30] in the first place. [57:31] They largely had [57:32] religious freedom [57:33] where they were in Europe. [57:34] What they didn't have [57:35] was the ability [57:36] to own the ground [57:36] under their feet. [57:37] They came here [57:38] not to become capitalist, [57:39] but to own that ground, [57:40] build their churches [57:41] and their communities [57:41] and pass something on [57:42] to their kids. [57:43] And I think imminent domain [57:45] for a private company [57:46] is an affront to that. [57:48] We cannot allow [57:48] that to happen in our state. [57:50] I would veto any bill [57:51] that would allow it to happen. [57:52] Now, we do build pipelines, [57:54] hundreds of miles of pipelines, [57:55] thousands of miles. [57:56] We know how to build pipelines safely. [57:58] But the issue is [57:58] that you need to be able [58:00] to go and get voluntary easements [58:01] to do that project [58:02] and not take away [58:04] the ground that has been [58:05] in some of these families [58:06] for 150 years. [58:08] This is a key part of our culture. [58:10] And as governor, [58:10] I would promote [58:11] and protect [58:12] the private property rights [58:13] to citizens [58:13] while also saying [58:14] that we have ways [58:16] to do these projects [58:17] that are not on the backs [58:18] or against what we're doing [58:20] with our foundational rights. [58:22] Brad Sherman, [58:24] the renewable fuels industry [58:25] has looked at bills [58:26] in the Iowa House [58:27] that have banned [58:28] the use of eminent domain [58:28] for carbon capture pipelines [58:30] and said it would kill [58:30] their project. [58:31] Do you refute [58:33] that that's what would happen [58:36] if a bill like that [58:37] were to become law? [58:38] Well, the opinions are split [58:40] on whether it would raise [58:40] corn prices or not. [58:42] That's a different issue. [58:43] But I can tell you this. [58:44] A private company [58:45] who's not a common carrier [58:46] for a product [58:47] that's not a public utility [58:48] should never, ever [58:49] get to use eminent domain. [58:50] It's just that simple. [58:51] But as I like to joke [58:52] and I've done many times [58:53] on the campaign trail, [58:54] some things are so simple [58:55] you need a lawyer [58:56] to misunderstand it. [58:58] And so that's kind of [58:58] that's what's going on here. [58:59] So there is no balance [59:01] on this issue [59:02] that needs to be struck. [59:03] It shouldn't happen. [59:05] You know, [59:05] it's private property [59:06] and we have to protect [59:07] private property rights. [59:08] That's one of the foundations [59:09] of this nation. [59:10] We have to protect [59:11] people's private property rights. [59:12] And so, [59:13] and the pipeline, [59:15] it's not just another pipeline. [59:17] It's an extremely dangerous pipeline. [59:19] Pipelines have always had [59:20] risk for rupture. [59:22] The CO2 pipelines [59:24] are much, much higher pressure. [59:25] They're up to 25 to 3,000 pounds [59:27] per square inch sometimes. [59:29] It's CO2 that can come out [59:31] in a cloud, [59:31] fill up a valley, [59:32] and smother everything [59:32] that breathes. [59:33] So it's not just [59:34] your average pipeline. [59:35] An average pipeline [59:36] could create [59:36] an environmental issue, [59:38] but this can kill, [59:39] can extinguish life. [59:41] Adam Steen, [59:42] how do you balance [59:43] protecting property rights [59:44] and also protecting [59:45] Iowa's economy [59:45] that is in large part [59:47] connected to, [59:48] you know, [59:49] corn and ethanol? [59:51] So I've been [59:51] hopefully very clear [59:52] that eminent domain [59:53] should not be used [59:54] for carbon sequestration. [59:55] And I actually [59:56] very much supported [59:57] Senator Alon's amendment [59:58] to the eminent domain bill [1:00:00] that went through the Senate [1:00:02] this year, [1:00:02] never hit the floor, [1:00:04] that allowed for [1:00:05] an open corridor, [1:00:06] that allowed for [1:00:06] different timing [1:00:07] of negotiations. [1:00:08] We need to let [1:00:08] free enterprise reign, [1:00:09] but we cannot allow [1:00:10] eminent domain [1:00:11] for carbon sequestrations. [1:00:12] It's not an appropriate use. [1:00:14] That said, [1:00:16] Iowa, again, [1:00:16] feeds the world [1:00:17] and ethanol [1:00:17] is important for us. [1:00:18] We will have year-round E15. [1:00:21] And from a global perspective, [1:00:23] Iowans, [1:00:23] we need to understand [1:00:24] that President Trump [1:00:25] is working to create [1:00:26] better trade deals [1:00:27] across this entire globe for us. [1:00:30] We need new trade deals [1:00:31] with countries [1:00:31] we don't have trade deals [1:00:32] with already. [1:00:33] And also we need [1:00:34] new innovations [1:00:35] and that's where [1:00:35] the public and private sector [1:00:36] can come together, [1:00:38] rise up, [1:00:38] and create value [1:00:39] where value doesn't exist before. [1:00:41] But I think Iowans [1:00:42] have grit. [1:00:43] I think they've got hope, [1:00:44] faith, determination. [1:00:45] We will see our way through it [1:00:47] and we will have [1:00:47] a burgeoning ethanol industry [1:00:49] like we've always had. [1:00:51] Let's talk about healthcare now, [1:00:52] obviously a very important [1:00:53] topic in our state. [1:00:55] We have seen [1:00:57] the federal cuts [1:00:58] from Congress [1:00:59] that impact Medicare [1:01:01] and Medicaid funding [1:01:02] in the future. [1:01:04] Since then, [1:01:04] we have seen [1:01:05] some healthcare clinics [1:01:06] close across our state, [1:01:08] Des Moines, [1:01:09] Ottumwa, [1:01:10] Centerville, [1:01:10] just to name three of those. [1:01:11] Providers have been saying [1:01:13] that they cannot afford [1:01:14] to keep going [1:01:15] for a variety of reasons. [1:01:16] Those low reimbursement rates, [1:01:18] staffing shortages, [1:01:19] you have population decline, [1:01:21] all of those kind of things. [1:01:23] A lot of factors, [1:01:24] but the people [1:01:24] who live in those communities [1:01:26] then cannot access [1:01:27] the service [1:01:28] that people can get [1:01:29] when they live [1:01:30] in bigger metropolitan areas [1:01:31] a lot of times. [1:01:32] Eddie Andrews, [1:01:33] if we can start with you here. [1:01:34] Sure. [1:01:34] What can you say [1:01:35] to those folks [1:01:36] who are seeing [1:01:37] hospitals and clinics closing? [1:01:39] Is there anything [1:01:40] you can do as governor [1:01:41] to help them [1:01:43] get those services [1:01:44] in the future? [1:01:46] In a word, yes. [1:01:47] So one of the things [1:01:48] that we've done [1:01:49] over the last, [1:01:50] was it last year [1:01:51] or the year before, [1:01:52] one, [1:01:52] we, [1:01:54] as a body [1:01:55] that in the Capitol, [1:01:56] we looked at [1:01:57] one of our facilities [1:01:58] that was closing [1:01:59] in southeast Iowa. [1:02:01] And we removed [1:02:02] the status [1:02:03] as a hospital, [1:02:04] but we kept [1:02:06] the urgent care [1:02:07] part of that. [1:02:08] And so that's one way [1:02:09] of just serving [1:02:10] that community. [1:02:11] Maybe they can't support [1:02:12] a full-functioning hospital, [1:02:15] but they can support [1:02:17] an urgent care. [1:02:18] And I would like [1:02:18] to see more of those [1:02:19] spread around the state, [1:02:21] not less. [1:02:23] One of the things [1:02:24] that we did have [1:02:25] from the one big, [1:02:26] beautiful bill [1:02:27] and some of the other [1:02:28] changes that came, [1:02:31] we knew there were [1:02:31] some changes coming [1:02:32] from Medicaid [1:02:33] and Medicare. [1:02:35] I've been personally [1:02:36] fighting for increasing [1:02:38] the reimbursement rates. [1:02:41] We've been successful [1:02:42] on some of the mental [1:02:43] health rates, [1:02:43] but we need to do more. [1:02:46] Right. [1:02:46] Zach Lane, [1:02:47] what can you do [1:02:47] to help these folks [1:02:48] who are seeing [1:02:49] these services disappear? [1:02:50] You know, [1:02:51] this is very personal [1:02:52] to me. [1:02:52] We live in a rural community. [1:02:53] We use a small, [1:02:55] rural hospital. [1:02:55] We love the small, [1:02:56] rural hospital in Marengo. [1:02:57] It's a great example [1:02:58] of a good one [1:02:59] in the state of Iowa. [1:03:00] But this is an underlying [1:03:02] issue that's affecting [1:03:03] many different things [1:03:04] in our state, [1:03:04] and it is that [1:03:05] we're losing population. [1:03:07] Des Moines Register [1:03:07] just had an article [1:03:08] about more deaths [1:03:09] than births in our state. [1:03:11] Rural communities [1:03:11] are being hit [1:03:12] the hardest here. [1:03:13] The ultimate answer [1:03:13] is we need to grow. [1:03:15] We need to have more [1:03:15] people in these communities [1:03:16] so that we can have [1:03:17] more people using [1:03:19] these facilities [1:03:20] to make them more viable. [1:03:21] But that being said, [1:03:22] we have a bigger issue here, [1:03:24] and that is we've seen [1:03:25] consolidation [1:03:25] in the healthcare industry. [1:03:27] Over 100 consolidations, [1:03:29] over 100 purchases [1:03:29] that have happened [1:03:30] over the past 20 years, [1:03:31] giving less choice [1:03:33] to the Iowans [1:03:33] that need these centers. [1:03:35] And it comes to a place [1:03:36] where we become a cell [1:03:38] on a spreadsheet to them [1:03:39] to say, [1:03:39] is it profitable [1:03:40] for us to be there? [1:03:41] Are we making enough money [1:03:42] to be there? [1:03:43] And what I would say [1:03:43] is that we need to make sure [1:03:45] that we are using [1:03:45] our antitrust laws [1:03:46] to make sure [1:03:47] that we are having [1:03:48] local choice [1:03:49] and people that care [1:03:50] about the communities [1:03:51] that they're within [1:03:51] that will stay [1:03:52] for the long haul. [1:03:53] That could be [1:03:54] kind of a big picture, [1:03:56] long, drawn-out, [1:03:57] legal fight, though. [1:03:58] Is there anything [1:03:58] you can do [1:03:59] to give people [1:04:00] more immediate hope [1:04:01] that you can somehow [1:04:02] flip this around? [1:04:03] Yes, thank you [1:04:04] for the 30 seconds. [1:04:06] Here's what it would be [1:04:06] for me. [1:04:07] It's that we have to look [1:04:08] at the levers we can pull. [1:04:09] We've talked a lot [1:04:10] about jobs in the state [1:04:11] and getting people back here. [1:04:12] You know, [1:04:12] we talk about nursing, [1:04:13] we talk about skilled trades, [1:04:14] you talk about those types [1:04:15] of jobs. [1:04:16] We have to start getting rid [1:04:17] of these degrees [1:04:18] in our colleges [1:04:19] that don't matter, [1:04:20] that aren't giving you [1:04:21] something that you can [1:04:21] actually get into [1:04:22] and be employable. [1:04:24] You know, [1:04:24] nursing is one [1:04:24] that we can get right into. [1:04:26] Skilled trades is another one. [1:04:27] And the reason we do this [1:04:28] is not for a political buzzword. [1:04:29] We do it because [1:04:30] you're being trained [1:04:31] to go deep into your community [1:04:32] to serve your neighbors. [1:04:35] And so I think [1:04:35] that that type of approach [1:04:36] to prioritize having [1:04:38] the right degrees [1:04:40] and the right training [1:04:40] is important. [1:04:41] Brad Sherman, [1:04:42] you're also in a smaller [1:04:43] community there [1:04:44] in Williamsburg. [1:04:44] What do you say [1:04:45] to folks statewide [1:04:46] looking at some [1:04:47] of these services ending? [1:04:48] Yeah, I'm close [1:04:49] to the same hospital [1:04:50] Zach's talking about [1:04:51] there in Marengo. [1:04:52] And it's a pretty [1:04:53] amazing facility [1:04:54] when you get a chance [1:04:54] to go in there [1:04:55] and look at it. [1:04:55] So, you know, [1:04:56] but again, [1:04:57] it's the big picture. [1:04:58] We have to grow [1:04:59] our population [1:05:00] and there's so many [1:05:01] different facets [1:05:01] to even doing that, [1:05:02] getting our grid established [1:05:04] in our rural communities [1:05:05] where people want [1:05:06] to live there [1:05:06] and want to move there [1:05:07] and when there's [1:05:07] a population-based [1:05:08] these people will go there. [1:05:10] But there's also [1:05:10] a lot of issues [1:05:12] that have to do [1:05:13] with exaggerated rates. [1:05:16] I know of one man [1:05:17] who started his own company. [1:05:19] He was telling me [1:05:19] that the insurance companies [1:05:22] rate certain procedures. [1:05:24] He told me [1:05:24] about one procedure [1:05:25] that cost $125,000. [1:05:27] Well, he went [1:05:27] and shopped around [1:05:28] and got it for $20,000 [1:05:29] or $25,000. [1:05:32] And so, you know, [1:05:32] these are some things [1:05:33] that are jacking up prices [1:05:34] so high [1:05:35] that people just can't [1:05:37] afford to live there. [1:05:39] And so I just think [1:05:40] this issue [1:05:41] of simply caring for people, [1:05:42] I know about this company, [1:05:43] I know of another company [1:05:44] right here in Iowa [1:05:45] who have a whole new mentality [1:05:48] when it comes to healthcare. [1:05:48] They care about people. [1:05:50] And so when the care [1:05:52] for people surpasses [1:05:54] the care for money, [1:05:55] we're going to see [1:05:55] some big changes [1:05:56] in our healthcare industry [1:05:57] and so I think [1:05:59] if we can expose [1:05:59] some of that kind of [1:06:00] fraud and waste [1:06:01] that's going on [1:06:01] in the healthcare industry, [1:06:02] we're going to see [1:06:03] some changes. [1:06:04] But what gets that care [1:06:06] there quickly? [1:06:07] Well, you know, [1:06:08] I've talked about this a lot, [1:06:11] but, you know, [1:06:12] there's so many issues [1:06:13] that we have to deal with. [1:06:14] You know, [1:06:14] if we think we can fix [1:06:15] what's going on in Iowa [1:06:16] or this nation [1:06:17] without God's help, [1:06:18] we need it. [1:06:19] You know, [1:06:19] we're due for another [1:06:20] great awakening [1:06:20] in this country. [1:06:22] And so, you know, [1:06:23] a lot of this has to do [1:06:24] with prayer, [1:06:25] you know, [1:06:25] and asking people [1:06:26] to consider, [1:06:27] you know, [1:06:28] are you pleasing God [1:06:29] or are you not pleasing God? [1:06:31] You know, [1:06:31] so when you talk [1:06:32] about caring for people, [1:06:33] that's where it comes from [1:06:35] because God has [1:06:36] the ultimate care [1:06:36] for people. [1:06:38] Adam Steen, [1:06:38] what can you do [1:06:39] to restore some [1:06:41] of these services [1:06:42] that people have been, [1:06:43] and, you know, [1:06:44] I mentioned a lot [1:06:45] of rural communities, [1:06:46] but frankly, [1:06:46] Southside Des Moines [1:06:47] just lost one too, [1:06:48] so that's the biggest [1:06:49] city in the state. [1:06:50] So what's going [1:06:51] to stop this? [1:06:53] Yeah, [1:06:53] there are two reasons [1:06:54] that these clinics, [1:06:56] these health care providers [1:06:57] are leaving rural communities [1:06:58] right now. [1:06:58] The first one is [1:06:59] they can't find the staff, [1:07:01] and the second is [1:07:01] they don't have the demand. [1:07:03] And the function of that [1:07:04] is there's too little industry [1:07:06] in these areas. [1:07:07] We've got to be recruiting [1:07:08] new business [1:07:09] into the state of Iowa [1:07:10] to capitalize on the infrastructure [1:07:11] that we have [1:07:12] to create new industries [1:07:13] in rural parts of Iowa [1:07:14] so that people show up, [1:07:16] show up to work, [1:07:16] and they need health care providers. [1:07:18] That will bring [1:07:18] health care providers back. [1:07:20] Staff, [1:07:21] we can get that [1:07:21] through the trades industry. [1:07:22] Health care trades. [1:07:23] Those in the Cedar Valley. [1:07:24] And what the CAPS program [1:07:25] is doing [1:07:26] is they're certifying kids [1:07:28] out of high school [1:07:29] into their nursing degrees [1:07:30] so that right out of high school [1:07:32] they can get jobs [1:07:33] right in the health care industry. [1:07:35] So we need industry [1:07:36] in the state of Iowa, [1:07:37] all across rural Iowa. [1:07:38] We can do that. [1:07:39] We can grow that [1:07:40] because, again, [1:07:40] we're Iowans. [1:07:41] That's what we do. [1:07:42] We've got the infrastructure. [1:07:43] We've got the workforce. [1:07:44] And when we infiltrate [1:07:45] our schools [1:07:46] with skilled trades, [1:07:47] with private sector, [1:07:49] these kids at a young age [1:07:50] are going to be able [1:07:50] to find these jobs [1:07:51] right out of school [1:07:52] and they'll be able [1:07:53] to staff those health care [1:07:55] entities [1:07:56] and they'll also have [1:07:57] the demand there for it as well. [1:07:58] Let's get a little bit [1:07:59] more specific about staffing [1:08:01] because Iowa has one [1:08:02] of the worst patient-to-doctor ratios [1:08:04] in the entire country. [1:08:06] We also have the fewest [1:08:07] OB-GYNs per capita [1:08:09] of any state [1:08:10] and Iowans are losing [1:08:12] access to obstetrics care [1:08:14] at a high rate as well. [1:08:16] There's problems in rural areas, [1:08:17] but there's also problems [1:08:18] as Dave brought up [1:08:19] in Des Moines here as well. [1:08:20] So, Eddie Andrews, [1:08:22] what does Iowa do [1:08:23] to bring more doctors [1:08:25] and nurses to our state [1:08:26] and keep them here? [1:08:27] Great question. [1:08:28] So, incentives. [1:08:30] We mentioned these earlier. [1:08:32] So, you already know [1:08:33] that one of my passions [1:08:34] at the Capitol, [1:08:36] when I came in, [1:08:37] I was very focused [1:08:40] on mental health. [1:08:41] We needed more doctors. [1:08:42] Well, how do we get them? [1:08:43] Through incentives. [1:08:44] And we started that program [1:08:46] by expanding the residencies [1:08:47] at the University of Iowa, [1:08:49] the same we can do [1:08:51] for OB-GYNs, right? [1:08:54] We also provided incentives. [1:08:58] So, to your point earlier, [1:08:59] that people don't just, [1:09:01] now that we have [1:09:01] an expanded number of doctors, [1:09:03] they don't take [1:09:03] that first flight out [1:09:04] to California [1:09:05] once they are offered that job. [1:09:09] And so, that program [1:09:10] is thriving right now. [1:09:12] And those doctors [1:09:14] are starting to stay [1:09:15] here in Iowa. [1:09:16] And we can do the same [1:09:17] with our OB-GYNs. [1:09:19] It's the contrast of really [1:09:22] regulation and mandates [1:09:25] versus incentives. [1:09:27] Iowans love incentives. [1:09:29] Talk to nurses. [1:09:30] A lot of them will tell you [1:09:31] they're experiencing burnout. [1:09:32] You know, especially [1:09:33] when you talk about mental health [1:09:34] and the staff that are working [1:09:36] in those types of facilities. [1:09:38] They're bringing people in, [1:09:39] but they're also losing them. [1:09:40] I mean, is there something [1:09:41] that you can do besides [1:09:42] just bringing people [1:09:43] but also keeping them? [1:09:44] Yes, and I do talk to nurses. [1:09:46] I mean, this is one of the [1:09:48] conversations that I have [1:09:48] all the time. [1:09:50] It really, again, [1:09:52] gets back to incentivizing people, [1:09:54] finding out what makes them stay. [1:09:58] What is their interest? [1:10:00] And obviously, pay is a part of it. [1:10:02] We did pass a law [1:10:03] that restructured [1:10:05] how some of the agencies [1:10:08] handle the nurses [1:10:10] because ultimately, [1:10:12] it's about those people [1:10:13] who really want to stay [1:10:14] to really help Iowans [1:10:16] and we have to incentivize them. [1:10:19] Zach Lane, what do you do [1:10:20] to keep more doctors [1:10:21] and nurses in Iowa [1:10:22] and bring them to the state as well? [1:10:24] Well, I think this goes back [1:10:25] to the number one point [1:10:26] of my campaign. [1:10:26] Look, why do we have a shortage? [1:10:27] We're losing our people. [1:10:28] They're leaving. [1:10:29] We're fourth highest in the country [1:10:30] for net out migration. [1:10:32] We're not only just losing our people, [1:10:33] we're losing the people [1:10:33] that we educate. [1:10:35] And so this is about [1:10:36] giving the incentives [1:10:37] to stay here [1:10:37] because often, [1:10:38] we have what they really want. [1:10:40] We have their families here, [1:10:41] their traditions, [1:10:41] their home, [1:10:42] where they grew up. [1:10:44] It's something that they love. [1:10:46] But what we have to get back to [1:10:46] is getting competitive as a state. [1:10:48] So I've been very clear. [1:10:49] Look, if you are going [1:10:50] through a nursing school, [1:10:51] number one, [1:10:52] we should be helping [1:10:53] our young people [1:10:54] with tuition assistance [1:10:55] any way we can. [1:10:56] But number two, [1:10:57] is that providing [1:10:58] an income tax abatement [1:10:59] so that funds can go [1:11:02] into an account [1:11:03] that will help you [1:11:03] with a down payment on a home, [1:11:05] making Iowa [1:11:05] the most competitive place [1:11:07] to live for a young person. [1:11:08] We have to get creative. [1:11:09] You know, [1:11:10] I spent a lot of my life [1:11:11] in the private sector, [1:11:12] building businesses, [1:11:13] buying companies. [1:11:13] You have to compete for people. [1:11:15] And we have not been doing [1:11:17] what we can do [1:11:17] to compete on a grand scale [1:11:19] for Iowans to stay in our state. [1:11:21] That's why it's the number one point [1:11:22] on my platform [1:11:23] running for governor. [1:11:25] Brad Sherman, [1:11:26] if you were governor, [1:11:26] what would you do [1:11:27] to solve the staffing shortages [1:11:29] in hospitals [1:11:29] with doctors and nurses? [1:11:31] Well, [1:11:32] one of the things I've seen, [1:11:33] and my own son-in-law [1:11:34] experienced this, [1:11:35] is he saw a threat [1:11:37] to his job [1:11:37] and to his medical license. [1:11:38] He's a physician. [1:11:39] And he saw a threat [1:11:40] to his medical license [1:11:41] because he didn't believe [1:11:43] in complying [1:11:44] with the top-down protocols [1:11:47] that were coming [1:11:48] from Anthony Fauci [1:11:49] from the national level. [1:11:50] You know, [1:11:50] and so then, [1:11:52] and so he had to stand his ground [1:11:54] and thankfully he got an exemption. [1:11:55] But when doctors are threatened [1:11:57] with a board of medicine [1:11:59] that tells them, [1:12:00] this is how you're going [1:12:00] to practice medicine, [1:12:01] and when they know [1:12:02] it's not the best way [1:12:03] to practice medicine, [1:12:04] who wants to practice medicine [1:12:05] in that environment? [1:12:05] Now that's not the whole issue, [1:12:07] but that is a big issue. [1:12:09] You know, [1:12:09] I know people [1:12:09] in the medical profession, [1:12:11] him and a couple other people [1:12:13] who have quit their jobs [1:12:14] because they saw doctors [1:12:15] choosing very risky procedures [1:12:17] because they could make more money [1:12:18] over simple procedures [1:12:20] that were cheaper. [1:12:21] So, [1:12:22] so these are some issues. [1:12:23] A certificate of need [1:12:24] is something else [1:12:25] that we could do away with, [1:12:26] which would open up [1:12:27] more opportunities [1:12:28] for people in rural areas [1:12:30] and other places as well. [1:12:32] Adam Stein, [1:12:33] what would be your plan [1:12:34] to bring more doctors [1:12:35] and nurses to Iowa [1:12:36] and keep them here? [1:12:37] Yeah, [1:12:38] I alluded to this [1:12:38] in my last answer, [1:12:40] but we need new business, [1:12:41] new industry [1:12:41] in rural parts of Iowa. [1:12:43] That's what's going [1:12:43] to grow rural Iowa. [1:12:44] That's going to create [1:12:45] new opportunity, [1:12:46] new resources, [1:12:46] new demand for other services [1:12:48] all across the state. [1:12:49] So we need to be [1:12:49] recruiting businesses. [1:12:51] We need to be going [1:12:51] into these blue states [1:12:52] that are being decimated [1:12:53] by liberal woke policy. [1:12:56] Again, [1:12:56] Rob Sand comes in, [1:12:57] we're going to be just like [1:12:58] those other blue states. [1:12:59] We've got to hold our ground, [1:13:00] keep Iowa conservative, [1:13:02] and go into those states [1:13:03] and recruit manufacturing. [1:13:04] Recruit that business [1:13:05] and industry [1:13:06] into the state of Iowa [1:13:07] so we can bolster [1:13:08] a rural environment. [1:13:09] We need to deregulate [1:13:10] wherever we can [1:13:11] so that our professionals [1:13:13] have the ability [1:13:13] to actually practice. [1:13:15] And when we do that, [1:13:16] we then start promoting Iowa [1:13:17] as the awesome place [1:13:18] it is to live. [1:13:19] Again, [1:13:19] traveling around the state [1:13:20] for the last nine months, [1:13:21] I've seen parts of Iowa [1:13:22] I didn't know existed. [1:13:24] Iowa is awesome. [1:13:25] People want to be here. [1:13:26] They want to live here. [1:13:27] We will provide them [1:13:28] in a Stene administration, [1:13:30] business, growth, [1:13:31] and industry [1:13:31] all across Iowa [1:13:33] so they can get jobs [1:13:33] right here [1:13:34] and stay in the awesome state [1:13:35] that we live in. [1:13:37] My mother-in-law [1:13:38] is a retired teacher [1:13:39] and she would probably [1:13:40] scold me for saving education [1:13:42] to this point [1:13:44] in the debate. [1:13:45] But every topic is important. [1:13:48] So let's please [1:13:49] talk about education. [1:13:51] As you know, [1:13:52] back in the day, [1:13:53] Iowa was considered [1:13:53] number one in the nation [1:13:55] in education, right? [1:13:56] We are no longer that way. [1:13:57] Since Republicans [1:13:58] have had the trifecta, [1:13:59] they have prioritized [1:14:01] additional money [1:14:02] through the educational [1:14:04] savings accounts [1:14:05] for private schools. [1:14:06] There have been [1:14:06] charter school expansion, [1:14:08] some other efforts [1:14:10] to help on the [1:14:11] homeschooling side. [1:14:13] Our question now [1:14:14] and our focus is, [1:14:15] okay, now what's next? [1:14:17] So what can get us [1:14:19] to the point where [1:14:20] people across the country [1:14:22] look at Iowa [1:14:22] as the best place [1:14:25] in the country [1:14:26] to get an education? [1:14:27] Eddie, in yours. [1:14:27] Okay, getting Iowa [1:14:30] back to education [1:14:31] number one is, [1:14:33] excuse me, [1:14:33] let me just rephrase that. [1:14:34] Getting Iowa education [1:14:35] back to number one [1:14:36] is my number one priority. [1:14:39] You know, [1:14:39] I took a list [1:14:40] of all the things [1:14:41] that we used to do [1:14:43] when Iowa led the nation. [1:14:45] And I called that [1:14:47] the Iowa model. [1:14:49] When I was a young kid, [1:14:51] I would visit my grandparents [1:14:52] and spend summers [1:14:53] and everyone in Ohio [1:14:55] where my grandparents lived [1:14:57] knew that we were [1:14:58] the smartest kids [1:14:59] in the world [1:14:59] because we came from Iowa. [1:15:00] It wasn't just about corn [1:15:02] and soybeans. [1:15:03] It was about education [1:15:04] that we were known for. [1:15:06] And prior to the ESAs [1:15:08] and prior to all [1:15:09] of those things, [1:15:10] Iowa in the 90s [1:15:13] lost that under [1:15:14] and started adopting [1:15:15] the national programs. [1:15:16] No Child Left Behind, [1:15:17] ESSA, [1:15:18] as well as Common Core. [1:15:20] Simply put, [1:15:21] I will refocus our efforts [1:15:23] listening to teachers, [1:15:26] backing teachers [1:15:26] and empowering parents [1:15:27] and getting Iowa [1:15:28] back to number one [1:15:29] by restoring the Iowa model. [1:15:31] And then as a follow-up, [1:15:32] talk specifically [1:15:33] about public education. [1:15:35] For those who look [1:15:37] at the way [1:15:37] the legislature [1:15:38] has funded education [1:15:40] in many handful [1:15:41] of the most recent years, [1:15:43] it has been funded [1:15:44] below the increase [1:15:45] in inflation. [1:15:46] Will you continue [1:15:47] that practice going forward? [1:15:49] Again, [1:15:49] zero-based budgeting. [1:15:50] But we hear that [1:15:52] from the other side [1:15:54] of the aisle [1:15:55] that you're simultaneously [1:15:57] spending too much [1:15:58] and not enough [1:15:59] on everything [1:16:00] and on every single issue. [1:16:01] And so you have to take [1:16:02] that issue one by one. [1:16:05] By the way, [1:16:06] the state still spends [1:16:08] $8,100 on that public student [1:16:11] the same as an ESA student. [1:16:15] So we're not talking [1:16:16] about spending any extra money, [1:16:18] whether it's an ESA-based student [1:16:20] or a traditional [1:16:23] public school student. [1:16:24] Zach Lane, [1:16:25] part of your professional career [1:16:26] includes building [1:16:28] a school in Kansas [1:16:30] before you moved back here. [1:16:32] For Iowa, [1:16:33] what is the what's next [1:16:34] in education [1:16:35] for your administration? [1:16:36] Well, just quickly [1:16:37] to talk about [1:16:38] what you just asked, Eddie. [1:16:40] When we were number one [1:16:40] in the nation education [1:16:41] in the 1990s, [1:16:43] we've now fallen [1:16:44] to maybe number 26 or 27. [1:16:46] And that's why we've increased [1:16:48] per-people spending [1:16:48] by 200%. [1:16:49] And this is all [1:16:50] before ESAs even existed. [1:16:52] We don't have [1:16:53] the spending problem. [1:16:54] We have a quality problem. [1:16:56] So we wouldn't continue [1:16:57] to fund something [1:16:58] at a higher level [1:16:59] if the quality is decreasing. [1:17:00] We have to solve [1:17:02] the quality problem. [1:17:03] ESAs are foundational. [1:17:04] Parents should have more [1:17:05] save where their kids [1:17:05] go to school [1:17:06] and more save [1:17:06] where their tax dollars [1:17:07] are spent. [1:17:07] But the governor of Iowa [1:17:08] must be the number one advocate [1:17:10] for public school kids [1:17:11] in the state. [1:17:13] To do that first starting [1:17:14] off the experience [1:17:14] I've had starting schools, [1:17:15] number one, [1:17:16] the governor can create [1:17:17] innovation zones in education. [1:17:19] Cut the bureaucracy, [1:17:20] cut the red tape, [1:17:20] allow teachers [1:17:21] that want to innovate, [1:17:22] which many of them do. [1:17:23] We're losing our young teachers. [1:17:25] They've been there [1:17:25] for one, two, or three years [1:17:26] at a rate that's unacceptable. [1:17:28] They want to innovate. [1:17:29] They want to meet [1:17:30] the needs of the students. [1:17:31] But number two [1:17:32] is that we have to allow them [1:17:34] the freedom [1:17:35] to meet the needs [1:17:36] of the student [1:17:37] because education [1:17:37] is not a one-size-fits-all program. [1:17:40] What stops them [1:17:41] from being innovative, though? [1:17:43] Is it state regulations, [1:17:45] federal, what's stopping them? [1:17:46] Both. [1:17:46] There's both state [1:17:47] and federal regulations, [1:17:48] ones that we can, [1:17:49] but through the innovation zones [1:17:50] we can create, [1:17:51] we can actually cut [1:17:52] a lot of that red tape. [1:17:53] So oftentimes [1:17:54] in the schools we started, [1:17:55] I would have a public school teacher [1:17:57] come to me [1:17:57] and we would train them [1:17:58] on what we were doing. [1:17:59] The problem was [1:18:00] when they go back [1:18:01] into the classroom, [1:18:01] they couldn't implement any of it [1:18:02] because they're teaching to test [1:18:04] versus mastery-based learning, [1:18:05] which is where we should be going [1:18:06] with education [1:18:07] because it doesn't work [1:18:09] to have a one-size-fits-all model. [1:18:11] Our education system [1:18:11] largely hasn't changed [1:18:12] in 120 years. [1:18:13] There's innovative models out there [1:18:15] that are doing unbelievable things [1:18:17] that have simple principles like this. [1:18:18] A seven-year-old boy [1:18:19] shouldn't be in a desk [1:18:20] for six hours a day [1:18:21] and then when they can't sit still, [1:18:23] have them medicated. [1:18:24] We can solve these problems. [1:18:25] Brad Sherman, [1:18:26] what's your what's next in education? [1:18:28] How do you get us [1:18:29] to best in the country? [1:18:30] Well, in my opening statement, [1:18:31] I mentioned foundations of freedom. [1:18:32] You know, free people [1:18:33] are the ones that change things. [1:18:35] Free people are the ones [1:18:36] that innovate. [1:18:36] Free people can do things like this. [1:18:38] And Thomas Jefferson [1:18:39] made it very clear [1:18:40] that if we think people [1:18:41] are not capable of exercising [1:18:42] their control [1:18:43] with a wholesome discretion, [1:18:44] the remedy is not [1:18:44] to take that power away from them [1:18:46] but to inform their discretion [1:18:47] by education. [1:18:49] So education [1:18:50] and making people free [1:18:51] is absolutely important. [1:18:53] We have to fund education [1:18:55] but it can't be done [1:18:56] one-size-fits-all. [1:18:57] It's already been mentioned. [1:18:58] You know, when we, [1:18:59] you know, some schools, [1:19:00] I've heard stories [1:19:02] of one superintendent [1:19:02] making $400,000 a year. [1:19:04] Another one had a $400-a-month [1:19:06] clothing budget. [1:19:07] When we get back [1:19:08] to transparency [1:19:08] on the local level, [1:19:09] the local people [1:19:10] are going to vote [1:19:10] for the school board members [1:19:12] that are doing the right thing. [1:19:13] You know, one-size-fits-all [1:19:14] out of Des Moines [1:19:15] usually doesn't work. [1:19:16] It'll help some [1:19:17] and hurt others. [1:19:18] And so we have to, [1:19:19] certain things we have to do [1:19:20] from a state level, [1:19:21] you know, I think we may have [1:19:22] to start looking at the curriculum [1:19:23] because the curriculum [1:19:25] we're teaching [1:19:26] needs to be upgraded. [1:19:28] But we really have to push it [1:19:30] to the local level [1:19:30] and get the transparency [1:19:32] on the local level. [1:19:33] Well, why isn't that? [1:19:33] Shouldn't the school board [1:19:34] be involved [1:19:35] in what the curriculum is? [1:19:37] Well, they should be, [1:19:38] but just look at the results [1:19:40] we've had over the last years. [1:19:42] You know, we've seen [1:19:43] a continual decrease [1:19:44] in test scores [1:19:45] for years now. [1:19:47] And so, and you look [1:19:48] at some of the curriculum, [1:19:49] you know, the curriculum [1:19:50] that's talking about, [1:19:51] you know, transgender issues [1:19:54] and things like that, [1:19:55] that has no place [1:19:55] in our public schools. [1:19:57] You know, we're there [1:19:57] to teach kids the skills [1:19:59] to live a successful life. [1:20:01] You know, and when those [1:20:02] kind of curriculums are there, [1:20:03] then somebody has to step in [1:20:04] and say, no, [1:20:05] we're not going to have [1:20:05] that curriculum. [1:20:06] We're going to get back [1:20:06] to the founding principles [1:20:08] that this nation was on, [1:20:09] patriotism, reading, [1:20:10] writing, and arithmetic, [1:20:11] get back to common sense [1:20:13] in our educational systems. [1:20:15] All right, Adam Steen, [1:20:16] for education, [1:20:17] where do you take us next? [1:20:19] Yeah, I've said far and wide [1:20:21] that the school choice [1:20:22] legislation, the ESA program, [1:20:23] is one of the best pieces [1:20:24] of legislation [1:20:25] that the state of Iowa passed, [1:20:26] so much so that other states [1:20:28] are replicating that legislation [1:20:30] in their own states. [1:20:31] There are two candidates [1:20:32] in this race [1:20:33] that are taking more [1:20:34] of an approach of China, [1:20:35] of a communist approach. [1:20:36] One of those candidates [1:20:37] is Randy Feenstra. [1:20:39] He wants the government [1:20:40] to be involved [1:20:40] in your decisions [1:20:41] as a private, independent, [1:20:43] or Christian school. [1:20:44] He wants the government [1:20:45] to tell you [1:20:46] who you can accept [1:20:47] and who you can't accept. [1:20:48] Rob Sand is the other one. [1:20:50] Those two don't see [1:20:51] from a conservative perspective [1:20:52] what needs to continue [1:20:53] to happen here [1:20:54] in the state of Iowa. [1:20:55] Those two cannot be [1:20:56] your governor. [1:20:57] Otherwise, school choice [1:20:58] will not exist anymore [1:20:59] in the state of Iowa. [1:21:00] From a public school perspective, [1:21:02] we love our public schools. [1:21:04] My two boys go to public school. [1:21:06] What we hate [1:21:06] are the ridiculous requirements [1:21:08] and standards [1:21:08] that are being forced [1:21:09] upon teachers [1:21:10] that do not allow them to teach. [1:21:12] It's running teachers [1:21:13] out of these classes. [1:21:14] It's not allowing teachers [1:21:15] to create the culture [1:21:16] they need in their classroom. [1:21:17] What I will do as governor [1:21:18] is provide a pathway [1:21:19] for classical education [1:21:21] in our public schools [1:21:22] so that teachers can teach [1:21:24] and kids can learn. [1:21:25] All right. [1:21:25] We are running short on time, [1:21:26] but we can't end here [1:21:27] without talking about electability. [1:21:28] So it's got to be [1:21:29] in two sentences or less, [1:21:31] but there are a lot [1:21:32] of election analysts [1:21:33] looking at this race in November [1:21:34] and saying it's going [1:21:35] to be competitive. [1:21:36] So Eddie Enders, [1:21:37] why are you the most electable [1:21:39] candidate out of this bunch? [1:21:42] I have added single-handedly [1:21:44] more Republican voters [1:21:45] in my district, [1:21:47] legislative district, [1:21:48] than any other district in Iowa. [1:21:50] Those are receipts. [1:21:52] I mentioned earlier, [1:21:53] I am the most visited legislator [1:21:56] at the Iowa House [1:21:56] that tells you that people [1:21:59] want to hear from me [1:22:00] and they know [1:22:01] they can get solutions. [1:22:02] Long two sentences, [1:22:03] but we'll take it. [1:22:03] Zach Lane, [1:22:04] two sentences, [1:22:05] why are you the most electable? [1:22:06] It's about the issues [1:22:06] we're running on. [1:22:07] We have four issues. [1:22:08] Whether you're left or right, [1:22:09] you don't want Iowa's kids [1:22:10] living in Iowa, [1:22:11] you don't want our family farms [1:22:12] dying off, [1:22:13] you don't want our public education [1:22:14] system in the bottom half, [1:22:16] and you definitely don't want [1:22:16] your friends, family, [1:22:18] and neighbor dying from cancer. [1:22:19] These are Iowa issues [1:22:20] and that's what I'm running on. [1:22:21] Brad Sherman, [1:22:22] why are you the strongest candidate [1:22:23] to beat Rob Sand in November? [1:22:25] Well, I was the first one [1:22:25] to get into this race. [1:22:27] I'm the only one [1:22:27] that got in this race [1:22:28] when the incumbent [1:22:29] was still planning to run. [1:22:30] I proved that I would stand up [1:22:31] against the establishment. [1:22:32] There are a lot of voters [1:22:33] out there who are frustrated [1:22:34] with the establishment, [1:22:36] and I'm the one [1:22:36] that can show them [1:22:37] that I am, [1:22:38] and I've proven [1:22:39] that I will stand up [1:22:40] against the establishment. [1:22:40] That's how we keep them engaged. [1:22:42] That's how we beat Rob Sand. [1:22:43] Adam Steen, [1:22:44] why are you Republicans' best pick? [1:22:47] Yeah. [1:22:47] I'm the only candidate [1:22:48] that's already gone toe-to-toe [1:22:50] with Rob Sand. [1:22:50] I'm the only candidate [1:22:51] that's been in the boardroom [1:22:53] with him already, [1:22:54] and I'm the only candidate [1:22:54] that can beat him [1:22:55] because I've got the facts. [1:22:57] He knows what I know. [1:22:58] Now we are going [1:22:59] to give you some more time, [1:23:01] though, I promise, [1:23:01] for these closing statements. [1:23:03] Eddie Andrews, [1:23:04] you get 60 seconds [1:23:05] for your closing statement. [1:23:06] First, let me just say [1:23:06] he's not the only guy [1:23:07] that's gone toe-to-toe [1:23:08] with Rob Sand. [1:23:09] Okay. [1:23:10] First of all, [1:23:11] thank you so very much [1:23:12] for being here. [1:23:14] Look, guys, [1:23:15] this is a very serious [1:23:16] election, [1:23:17] and I would urge [1:23:20] our Republican voters [1:23:23] to look at June 2nd [1:23:25] through the eyes of November. [1:23:26] To your point, [1:23:27] who's most electable? [1:23:29] If not, [1:23:29] we're going to end up [1:23:30] like Kansas. [1:23:31] Very rural state, [1:23:33] super red majority [1:23:34] in both chambers [1:23:35] of the House, [1:23:36] but they, [1:23:36] in my opinion, [1:23:37] nominated the wrong person [1:23:38] who had zero appeal [1:23:40] outside of the Republican base. [1:23:43] Ended up with [1:23:44] the Democrat governor [1:23:44] who just vetoed [1:23:47] some of our, [1:23:47] similar to our legislation, [1:23:49] that protected rural sports. [1:23:50] If you really want [1:23:52] a promises-made, [1:23:54] promises-kept candidate, [1:23:56] not just a promises-made candidate, [1:23:58] but a promises-made [1:23:59] and promises-kept candidate, [1:24:02] there's really, [1:24:02] there's only one choice, [1:24:03] and that's Eddie Andrews. [1:24:04] Hope to have your support [1:24:06] on June 2nd [1:24:07] in the Republican primary. [1:24:09] Thank you. [1:24:09] Zach Lane, [1:24:10] you have 60 seconds [1:24:11] for your closing statement. [1:24:12] Yeah, thank you both [1:24:12] for putting the debate on, [1:24:14] and thank you to those [1:24:14] who watched [1:24:15] and took part in this. [1:24:16] You know, [1:24:16] we are a couple weeks away [1:24:17] from possibly one of those [1:24:18] consequential elections [1:24:20] that we've had in Iowa [1:24:21] in a very long time, [1:24:22] and this primary really matters. [1:24:24] You know, [1:24:24] my campaign is about [1:24:25] putting Iowa first, [1:24:26] and that has been something, [1:24:28] I think, [1:24:28] when we go talk to Iowans [1:24:29] across the state, [1:24:31] that they keep asking, [1:24:32] why are we electing people, [1:24:33] Republicans included, [1:24:35] and things aren't changing systemically? [1:24:37] We still have these big, [1:24:38] long-term issues [1:24:39] that we're facing, [1:24:40] and I often say [1:24:41] that's because [1:24:41] we are actually fighting [1:24:42] against the uniparty. [1:24:44] That is, [1:24:44] politicians from both sides [1:24:45] who have been captured [1:24:46] by corporate interests, [1:24:47] special interests, [1:24:48] and lobbyists [1:24:49] that are doing the will [1:24:50] of them [1:24:50] rather than the will [1:24:51] of the people. [1:24:52] It is time [1:24:53] that we put Iowa [1:24:53] and Iowans first. [1:24:55] That's the entire reason [1:24:56] I'm running this campaign. [1:24:57] Look, [1:24:58] we have a chance [1:24:58] on June 2nd [1:24:59] to beat Randy Feenstra [1:25:01] and have a true conservative [1:25:02] be going against Rob Sand. [1:25:05] I know that can be our campaign. [1:25:07] We can do this, [1:25:08] win on June 2nd, [1:25:09] and win in November. [1:25:11] Brad Sherman, [1:25:12] I'm going to guess [1:25:12] you think you're the best guy, [1:25:14] so how about 60 seconds [1:25:15] to close us out here? [1:25:16] Yeah, well, [1:25:17] we need truth [1:25:18] and integrity in government. [1:25:19] If we don't have truth [1:25:20] and integrity, [1:25:20] we won't have anything. [1:25:21] And I've been making [1:25:22] four promises around the state. [1:25:23] Number one, [1:25:24] Mike Huckabee told me something. [1:25:25] He said, [1:25:26] the most dangerous guy [1:25:27] in the room [1:25:27] is the guy who doesn't know [1:25:28] that he doesn't know. [1:25:29] And so nobody knows everything. [1:25:31] Getting elected [1:25:32] doesn't make you infallible. [1:25:33] You have to admit mistakes [1:25:34] when you make mistakes, [1:25:35] and I've seen a lot of cases [1:25:36] where that should have been done. [1:25:37] Second promise [1:25:38] is that I will not please everyone, [1:25:41] and that's a given, [1:25:42] but it's based on the fact [1:25:43] that I know [1:25:43] what my core principles are. [1:25:45] Those won't be changing, [1:25:46] and I won't be pleasing people. [1:25:47] Third, I will not be bought. [1:25:49] Government is not for sale. [1:25:51] I heard someone say, [1:25:52] are you going to run [1:25:53] for governor one day? [1:25:53] A certain person [1:25:54] was asked that question. [1:25:55] Are you going to run [1:25:56] for governor one day? [1:25:56] And the person said, [1:25:58] no, it's easier to buy a governor [1:25:59] than run for governor. [1:26:00] Well, that won't be me. [1:26:01] I won't be bought. [1:26:02] And the fourth promise [1:26:03] is we're going to seek [1:26:04] Almighty God [1:26:05] through prayer [1:26:05] and wise counselors [1:26:06] to make the decisions [1:26:07] that are best [1:26:08] for the people of the state of Iowa. [1:26:09] And that's what it's going to take [1:26:10] to turn the state around [1:26:11] and give a whole new complexion [1:26:14] to state government. [1:26:15] All right, Adam Steen. [1:26:17] This is quite possibly [1:26:19] the most important election [1:26:20] in the history [1:26:20] of the state of Iowa. [1:26:21] June 2nd, [1:26:22] we'll determine [1:26:22] who is going to take on Rob Sand. [1:26:24] If Rob Sand comes in as governor, [1:26:26] kiss your freedom, [1:26:27] kiss your culture, goodbye. [1:26:29] We need a candidate [1:26:29] who is time-tested. [1:26:31] We need a candidate [1:26:32] with experience. [1:26:33] I've got 18 years [1:26:34] as a business owner. [1:26:35] I've got five years [1:26:36] in government operation. [1:26:37] I'm time-tested. [1:26:38] I'm a fighter. [1:26:39] I fight for my family [1:26:40] every single day. [1:26:42] I get knocked down. [1:26:43] I don't stay down. [1:26:43] And I've developed scars [1:26:44] over the course of my career [1:26:46] and the course of my life. [1:26:47] But there is one thing [1:26:48] that I do [1:26:48] is that I fight. [1:26:49] And when I fight, I win. [1:26:51] And you have my commitment, [1:26:52] every single Iowan out there, [1:26:54] that I will fight for you [1:26:55] as hard as I fight [1:26:56] for my family [1:26:57] every single day. [1:27:00] We thank you, [1:27:00] the four of you, [1:27:01] for agreeing to take part [1:27:03] in this debate. [1:27:04] And thanks for, [1:27:05] and a special thanks [1:27:06] for following our clock. [1:27:08] Yes. [1:27:08] So we could get to [1:27:09] a lot of these questions. [1:27:11] So we very much [1:27:11] appreciate that. [1:27:12] And thank you viewers [1:27:13] at home for tuning in. [1:27:14] We want to remind you [1:27:15] that the primary election [1:27:17] is on June 2nd. [1:27:18] Early voting is already underway. [1:27:19] So if you want, [1:27:20] you can go ahead [1:27:21] and cast your ballot now. [1:27:22] Thanks for tuning in. [1:27:23] Have a great night.