Gov. Chet Culver (D) 

Gov. Chet Culver has held his position since 2006.

During his first term as governor, Culver greatly expanded access to preschool and health care coverage for children.

His administration also raised the age a person could stay on their parents’ health care insurance to 26, before the national debate on health care reform took place.

Culver’s campaign has struggled amid scandals during his administration, such as the misuse of tax credits through the Iowa Film Office.

In October 2009, Culver made the decision to enact a 10-percent, across-the-board cut to the state budget which hit public schools particularly hard. The governor said at the time it was a choice of raising taxes or cutting government spending.

He said he would force local school boards to spend their cash reserves before enacting any raises in property taxes.

In September, the Culver administration announced the state had a near record budget surplus of $336 million and grabbed the support of the National Rifle Association.

Culver began the I-JOBS program, which has been devoted primarily to infrastructure and flood recovery. It was bonded and will cost more than $1 billion, but is being paid off entirely from gaming revenue.

Terry Branstad (R)

Branstad was elected governor in 1982, serving four terms until 1999.

Branstad’s time in office faced a similar set of challenges: record flooding, recession causing high unemployment and struggles to balance a budget.

While Branstad does not support the expansion of preschool Culver has undertaken, the portion the state provides for higher education has dropped significantly since Branstad left office.

Much of Branstad’s campaign has put a focus on the economy, as he repeatedly touts during his time in office the state unemployment rate went from a record high to less than 3 percent when he left in 1999.

Part of his proposals include opening more trading of Iowa’s agricultural products with South Korea, getting rid of the Iowa Department of Workforce Development and starting a new public-private partnership and incentives to keep young Iowans here rather than leaving the state for careers.

Instead of making the Iowa Defense of Marriage Act an issue central to his campaign like other GOP candidates did in the primary, his approach includes a possible vote to amend the Constitution over same-sex marriage and said he’s open to changing how Iowa’s Supreme Court justices are selected.