Rain-filled skies and blustering winds didn’t stop more than 100 Democrats of Story County from gathering at Inis Park Saturday morning.

Activists huddled beneath shelter and held campaign signs high until their candidates for governor and lieutenant governor arrived: Fred Hubbell and Rita Hart.

The crowd erupted when the green campaign bus pulled off Duff Avenue and into the parking lot. Many supporters ran into the rain with signs held high to greet the gubernatorial candidates.

Once Hubbell and Hart were firmly planted in front of the podium, the candidates began speaking about their opposition, incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, and how they believe she’s mismanaged Iowa’s public education, healthcare and economic systems at the detriment of Iowans. 

“Medicaid privatization is hurting Iowans,” Hart said. “Students in classrooms work without the resources they need. Workers had their rights stolen from them in the night. Iowans have faced real hardships over the last few years. They’ve knocked us down, but we’re standing back up.”

Hart also shared a story about her nephew, Tucker, a quadriplegic forced into a nursing home at 33 years old because Medicaid no longer covered his home care.

“Tucker was the victim of gun violence,” Hart said. “He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. All of us are just one accident away from relying on Medicaid to survive.” 

Some people at the rally had difficulties of their own after the privatization of Medicaid. Eileen Sambos suffers from narcolepsy and hearing loss, and said she’s been having trouble finding a clinic that can help her with any of her medical needs.

“The clinic I used to go to couldn’t help me get hearing aids as a Medicaid patient,” Sambos said. “Right now, McFarland clinic isn’t accepting new Medicaid patients, either. It’s hard to find someone that can help me, I keep getting turned away.”

Hubbell and Hart also spoke about returning public funding to Planned Parenthood and creating new facilities for Iowans suffering with mental illness.

“Right now, Iowa doesn’t even have a program to help youth with mental illness,” Hubbell said. “We’d start Iowa’s first such program, and we’d begin reversing the privatization of Medicaid on day one in the capitol.”

Hubbell also said that, despite Reynold’s economic rhetoric, working Iowans are hurting and the current administration isn’t trying to help them.

“Forty percent of working Iowans have multiple jobs just to make ends meet,” Hubbell said. “Kim Reynold’s policies aren’t working for nearly half of Iowa workers.”

One of these workers is Liza Bryant Tapper, a freshman studying liberal arts at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). She currently works two jobs while being a full-time student, and spoke about the benefits accessible higher education can have for Iowans.

“I wanted to go to the University of Iowa,” Tapper said, “but I learned I would’ve need a $15,000 private loan on top of federal loans to afford tuition.”

Tapper told a story about her parents, who went to DMACC so they could give her better opportunities in life. They both went on to earn master’s degrees from Drake University.

“Community colleges give people opportunities and success stories,” Tapper said. “Why are we defunding our public education system? Why aren’t we investing in the future of Iowa?”

Hubbell said he and Hart want to implement a universal Pre-K education program for Iowa children and allocate more funds to K-12 and higher education.

“Iowa schools used to be ranked number one,” Hubbell said. “Now they’re rated at a C and ACT scores have been falling over the last three years.”

Hubbell also spoke about wage stagnation, and said Reynold’s hasn’t been putting working people first with her economic policies.

“Incomes have flattened across Iowa,” Hubbell said. “Rita and I are going to fight to restore collective bargaining, raise the statewide minimum wage, restore home rule so places like Ames can make that wage even higher if they need to, and put an end to Gov. Reynolds short-sighted taxpayer giveaways.”