Charles City native is Democratic gubernatorial running mate

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City native has been selected as the running mate by the Democratic nominee for governor in the election this fall.

Fred Hubbell announced Saturday that Rita Hart, who grew up near Charles City and who is the sister of the Floyd County treasurer, is his choice to run for lieutenant governor as Hubbell runs for governor.

Hart, age 62, is currently a Democratic state senator, representing all of Clinton County and part of Scott County in the far eastern part of the state. She was first elected in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014.

She and her husband, Paul, have been operating his family’s century farm near Wheatland, about 25 miles northeast of Davenport, since 1986, and she was also a teacher for more than 20 years in the Calamus-Wheatland and Bennett Community school districts.

Hart is the sister of long-time Floyd County Treasurer Frank Rottinghaus, and he spoke to the Press Sunday afternoon about his sister and the announcement.

“I think she’s just a good fit,” Rottinghaus said of the Hubbell-Hart ticket. “They have the same priorities — fully funding education, restoring worker rights and looking at some of these state credits that we’re giving out to corporations and whether they are the best way to spend our tax money.”

He said he spoke with his sister in the middle of last week and learned she had been contacted about the possibility of being Hubbell’s running mate. They talked about what the opportunity could mean and what it would take, during the campaign and if elected, he said.

The decision was announced by Hubbell Saturday morning and officially ratified at the state party convention that afternoon. Rottinghaus was at the convention, although he said he had supported John Norris rather than Hubbell in the party primary election.

Hubbell’s choice of his sister didn’t surprise him, Rottinghaus said, knowing the kind of person his sister is and the experience she has.

Hart brings a lot of things to the ticket, Rottinghaus said, including her rural background and her experience as a teacher, a farmer and a legislator.

Hubbell’s opponent, incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds, has already been hitting Hubbell for his background coming from a wealthy Des Moines business family and accusing him of being out of touch with everyday Iowans.

“Rita comes from a different place economically, culturally, geographically,” Rottinghaus said, comparing her to Hubbell.

Rottinghaus is a long-time Democratic Party activist and party official, and was asked to sum up the chances of a Hubbell-Hart ticket.

“If the voter looks at the record of the incumbent and compares it to what the needs of the common voter are, I think we’ll see a disconnect there,” Rottinghaus said. “We’ve had some real issues in state government with the privatization of Medicaid. … I think there’s a lot of people out there who really do want to see change and they have specific reasons why they want to see that.

“I have been involved in Democratic politics for a long, long time, and have been involved in many different campaigns at many levels,” he said. “This is one I really look forward to, not just because my sister is the running mate, but because I think this is really a winning ticket.”

Rottinghaus said his sister comes back to Charles City often, and he is sure she’ll be here during the campaign.

In making the announcement of Hart’s selection Saturday, Hubbell said, “We considered a lot of talented Iowans, but Senator Hart always stood out, and I couldn’t be more excited to have her as my running mate.

“Her story as a teacher for over 20 years, a farmer, a mother of five, grandmother, two-term state senator, is a strong testament to her strong character,” he said. “A caring, steadfast Iowan through and through, Senator Hart has dedicated her life to serving and fighting for her community.

“We’re running in this race because we both love this state, and we want to leave it to all of our children and grandchildren better than we found it. And Senator Hart just had a new grandchild, so I know how committed she is to that vision,” Hubbell said.

Hart told the crowd Saturday afternoon that she developed her interest in politics and her ability to form and defend an opinion while growing up in a household with a Republican mother and a Democratic father, and eight brothers and sisters talking about politics and current events around the dinner table each night.

“I can tell you that I did not expect to be here on this stage as the nominee for the lieutenant governor for this great state,” Hart said Saturday. “But I accept this challenge, because what I have always been committed to is to try to make the world a better place, by doing as much as I can for as many as possible.”

The Republicans also held their state convention Saturday, and officially nominated incumbents Kim Reynolds and Adam Gregg as their candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.

Reynolds was formerly lieutenant governor, and became governor in May 2017 when Gov. Terry Branstad resigned to become U.S. ambassador to China.