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Iowa Governor Terry Branstad announces re-election bid

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad says he is "energized" and ready to run for an unprecedented sixth term in office.

The Republican governor announced his bid for re-election Wednesday night before several hundred supporters at a conference center in West Des Moines. He will embark on a statewide tour Thursday.

The 67-year-old Branstad has been laying the groundwork for a race since last summer. He announced last week that he had just over $4 million in his campaign account at the end of December.

During his annual "Condition of the State" speech Tuesday, he boasted about tax cuts, education investments and a decline in unemployment.

Longtime state Sen. Jack Hatch, a Des Moines Democrat, is the leading candidate to oppose Branstad.

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