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THEY FACED SIMILAR DISCRIMINATION. A FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE IS THE FIRST TO LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN TO BE IOWA’S NEXT GOVERNOR. REPUBLICAN BRAD SHERMAN MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY. ����vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER JOINS US NOW IN THE STUDIO. AMANDA, THIS WOULD SET UP A POTENTIAL PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS IF SHE WERE TO RUN FOR REELECTION. THAT’S RIGHT. BEN AND BRAD SHERMAN WOULD LIKELY BE RUNNING TO THE POLITICAL RIGHT OF REYNOLDS. HE’S A SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE. HE’S BRANDING HIMSELF AS A MORE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT CANDIDATE, AND HE SAYS HE WANTS TO LOWER PROPERTY TAXES, PROTECT LANDOWNERS FROM CARBON CAPTURE PIPELINES, AND BUILD A CULTURE OF LIFE. BRAD SHERMAN IS A PASTOR AND A FORMER STATE LAWMAKER. NOW THE REPUBLICAN FROM EASTERN IOWA WANTS TO BE THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF IOWA. I’M DOING THIS PRIMARILY BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE GOD IS LEADING ME TO. SHERMAN’S CAMPAIGN WOULD SET UP A POTENTIAL PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT KIM REYNOLDS. IF SHE CHOOSES TO RUN FOR REELECTION. IT’S NOT LIKE I HAVE SOME HUGE VENDETTA AGAINST HER. I DON’T. I’VE ALWAYS GOTTEN ALONG WELL WITH WITH HER. WELL, EVEN IF THE POLLS ARE TRUE, AND SHERMAN WAS ELECTED TO THE IOWA HOUSE IN 2022, HE SERVED ONE TERM AND SAYS HE SAW ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. I GOT A PRETTY GOOD LOOK UNDER THE HOOD, AS THEY SAY, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE COULD DO A LOT BETTER. I THINK THIS IS TIME. SHERMAN’S ALSO A LONGTIME SUPPORTER OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AHEAD OF THE IOWA CAUCUSES, REYNOLDS INITIALLY ENDORSED RON DESANTIS FOR PRESIDENT. ����vlog POLITICAL ANALYST DENNIS GOLDFORD SAYS THAT COULD HURT HER IF SHE RUNS AGAIN. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER, IN FACT, SHE HAS MOVED IN ENOUGH OF A MAGA DIRECTION, A TRUMP KIND OF DIRECTION TO FORESTALL A CHALLENGE FROM SOMEONE, AS IN THIS CASE, WHO MIGHT SAY THAT SHE’S NOT MAGA ENOUGH. SHERMAN HAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS NAME RECOGNITION AND LESS FUNDING THAN REYNOLDS. IF SHE CHOOSES TO RUN FOR REELECTION, SHERMAN STARTS AT A DISADVANTAGE. YOU DON’T WANT TO START OFF IN THIS MUCH OF A MONEY HOLE COMPARED TO YOUR OPPONENT, AS WHAT WE HAVE NOW SINCE GOVERNOR REYNOLDS IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE FINANCIALLY. BUT WE DO HAVE QUITE A WHILE TO GO BEFORE THE PRIMARY. SHERMAN SAYS HE’S AWARE OF THE CHALLENGE, BUT HAS MORE THAN A YEAR TO BUILD HIS GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN. WE’RE GOING TO GET OUT THERE AND TALK TO PEOPLE. THAT’S THE ONE POWERFUL THING ABOUT THIS NATION IS WHEN THE PEOPLE GET INVOLVED, IT MAY. IT’S A GAME CHANGER. AND SO YOU NEVER KNOW. WE DID REACH OUT TO THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, BUT THEY DECLINED TO COMMENT. NOW SIMILAR, MORE SOCIALLY CONSERVATIVE, ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT CANDIDATES WITH VERY SMALL BUDGETS HAVE DONE SOMEWHAT WELL IN IOWA RECENTLY. LAST YEAR, REPUBLICANS DAVID KOCH AND KEVIN VIRGIL EACH WON ABOUT 40% OF THE VOTE IN THEIR CAMPAIGNS AGAINST INCUMBENT REPRESENTATIVES MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS AND RANDY FEENSTRA, RESPECTIVELY. NOW, GOLDFORD SAYS THAT COULD INDICATE THAT THERE’S SUPPORT IN THE IOWA REPUBLICAN CAMP FOR A CANDIDATE LIKE BRAD SHERMAN. BUT IT’S STILL UNCLEAR IF IT’S ENOUGH SUPPORT TO THREATEN REYNOLDS GRIP