| Chet Culver | |
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41st Governor of Iowa
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2007 |
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| Lieutenant | Patty Judge |
| Preceded by | Tom Vilsack |
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| In office 1999 – 2007 |
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| Governor | Tom Vilsack |
| Preceded by | Paul Pate |
| Succeeded by | Michael A. Mauro |
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| Born | January 25, 1966 Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Mariclare Culver |
| Residence | West Des Moines, Iowa |
| Alma mater | Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Drake University |
| Profession | Teacher |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Chester John "Chet" Culver (born January 25, 1966) is the current governor of Iowa, having won the 2006 election. His assumption of office marks the first time that Democrats have simultaneously controlled both the executive and legislative branches of Iowa's state government since the 1965–1967 session of the Iowa General Assembly. Culver is also the first Democratic governor in Iowa since Nelson G. Kraschel in 1937 to be elected to succeed another Democrat. He was elected as the Federal Liaison for the Democratic Governors Association for 2008-2009. His father, John Culver, is a former U.S. Senator from Iowa.
Culver faces a tough reelection bid against Former Republican Governor Terry E. Branstad. Polling to date shows that Culver trails Branstad by significant margins.[1]
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Personal life
Culver was born in Washington, D.C. He is a Presbyterian (where he has served as an elder) and is married to Mariclare Culver, who is Roman Catholic. Culver attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland. He attended Virginia Tech on a football scholarship and earned a B.A. in education in 1988. Later, he received an M.A. in teaching from Drake University in 1994.[2]
After college, Culver moved to Iowa and worked as a staff member for the state Democratic Party. He worked with Bonnie Campbell on her 1990 campaign for state attorney general, serving as field director. Culver previously worked a lobbyist under the guidance of Campbell's husband. From 1991 to 1995, Culver worked as a consumer and environmental advocate in the attorney general's office. After completing his master's degree, he took a job as a teacher in Des Moines. Working first at Roosevelt, and then Hoover High School, he taught government and history. Culver coached sophomore football and eighth grade boys basketball during his tenure[1].
In 1998, Culver ran for Iowa Secretary of State and was victorious. At the age of 32, he was the youngest Secretary of State in the nation. He was reelected to a second term in 2002 by an overwhelming margin. While serving at this post, he created the Iowa Student Political Awareness Club, which attempts to get students motivated to participate in politics when they reach voting age [2]. During his tenure, Culver received many accolades for modernizing the office, increasing voter registration, and ensuring voter accessibility for people with disabilities.
Contrary to his wife who supported John Edwards, on February 7, 2008 in Omaha, Nebraska, he endorsed Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee in the 2008 presidential election.[3]
2006 gubernatorial race
Culver's main opponents for the Democratic nomination were former director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development Mike Blouin and seven-term State Representative Ed Fallon. Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge was also running for the nomination, but after she withdrew from the race, she gave her support to Culver and became his running mate. Culver won the Democratic primary with 39% of the vote.
Culver faced Republican Congressman Jim Nussle of Manchester, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, in the general election. On November 7, 2006, Culver defeated Nussle in the general election by nearly 100,000 votes, winning 54% of the vote to Nussle's 44%, with minor party candidates getting 2%.
Electoral History
| Iowa Gubernatorial Election 2006 | |||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Chet Culver | 565,657 | 54.0 | +1.7 | |
| Republican | Jim Nussle | 466,757 | 44.6 | +0.1 | |
| Green | Wendy Barth | 7,722 | 0.7 | -0.7 | |
| Libertarian | Kevin Litten | 5,621 | 0.5 | -0.8 | |
| Socialist Workers | Mary Martin | 1,957 | 0.2 | n/a | |
| Majority | 98,900 | 9.4 | |||
| Turnout | 1,747,714 | ||||
| Democratic hold | Swing | ||||
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chet Culver |
- Iowa Governor Chet Culver official state site
- Biography at the National Governors Association
- Biography, interest group ratings, public statements, vetoes and campaign finances at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Collected news and commentary at The Washington Post
- Follow the Money - Chet Culver
- Beaumont, Thomas. "Culver, Blouin battle for labor backing", Des Moines Register, 2/28/2006. (Retrieved 2/28/2006)
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Paul Pate |
Iowa Secretary of State 1999 – 2007 |
Succeeded by Michael Mauro |
| Preceded by Tom Vilsack |
Governor of Iowa 2007–present |
Incumbent |
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