Another GOP candidate makes it “official”

State Senator Jerry Behn (pronounced BAYN), a Republican from Boone, is making himself available for one-on-one media interviews at the statehouse today to formally kick off his campaign.  Here's the news release:

State Senator Jerry Behn announced today that he is entering the race to be the Republican candidate for Iowa Governor in 2010.    
 
“For the past several months I have been traveling around the state and the people I have been talking to have encouraged me to get into the race”, said Behn.  “lowans are deeply concerned about the direction the state is taking under Governor Culver.”
 
“Right now, the state is facing a massive deficit because of excess spending,” Behn said. “The common sense answer is we need to cut spending.  The state is already taking in nearly record tax revenues, so this is a spending problem. I believe that government should live within its means.  As Governor, I would use the veto pen, if I have to, to make sure we do.” 
 

Senator Behn is a 4-term senator from District 24, which includes Dallas and Boone Counties.  “I have a very diverse district, from sparsely populated farming areas to densely populated suburbs of West Des Moines,” Behn said. “Although they live in different areas, my constituents want the same thing, common sense answers to the problems we face.” 
 
The senator was born in Boone County in 1954 and raised on the family farm south of the City of Boone. Behn remains an active farmer today growing corn and soybeans on the family farm with his son. 
 
“I have been farming for the past 35 years and I know what small businesses go through every year,” said Behn.  “Common Sense is an integral part of farming. You also learn firsthand lessons in freedom, individual responsibility and self reliance.” 
 
Behn first entered politics when he ran for and was elected to the Boone County Board of Supervisors in 1994.  In 1996, he was elected to the State Senate representing District 40, which originally was comprised of Boone, Greene and Carroll counties.  The district was  changed to Senate District 24 in 2000, which includes most of Boone and Dallas counties.   
 
Behn married his high school sweetheart, Dennise, and they have been married 35 years.  They have four children and three grandchildren and one on the way.   “I am running for governor because I want to make sure that our daughters and sons, our grand-sons and grand-daughters can find a job or start a business to provide a standard of living high enough to be able to stay in Iowa if they want to.”   
 
To do that, Behn says, “We need to be clear that our right–to–work law is here to stay. What we need to do is to tear down barriers to growth, not create new ones.”   
 
Senator Behn voted for and helped pass the Defense of Marriage Act in 1998.  In 2004, Jerry voted for, but was unfortunately unable to pass a resolution that would have allowed you to vote on a constitutional amendment as to whether or not marriage should be between one man and one woman. He still believes the people of Iowa, not 7 justices sitting behind a bench, should decide whether marriage should be between one man and one woman.  “I will fight to make sure that Iowans will have a chance to vote on a marriage amendment”, Behn said.