Plethora of Announcements Made this Week Concerning Statewide Races
January 7, 2022
Breanna Bird declared that she would be seeking the Republican nomination for Attorney General in a bid to take on incumbent Democrat Tom Miller, who is the longest serving Attorney General in United States history.
Former State Representative Mary Ann Hanusa announced she was running for the GOP nomination for Auditor in an effort to ultimately take on incumbent Democrat Tom Miller. Hanusa, from Council Bluffs, is a former staffer for Senator Charles Grassley and was previously the GOP nominee for Secretary of State in 2006. Last year, she had been running for the GOP nomination for the 3rd Congressional District, but was drawn out of it following redistricting in October. She's since suspended her campaign for that particular race.
State Representative Ras Smith announced on Wednesday that he was suspending his campaign for governor. Smith, a Democrat from Waterloo, was previously one of two front runners for the Democratic nomination for governor. According to The Des Moines Register, he cited financial difficulties which prevented him from expanding his campaign operation. If Smith decides to seek re-election in the House, he will face fellow incumbent Democrat Timi-Brown Powers in the primary as they were drawn into the same district following redistricting.