Chet Culver

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41^st Governor of Iowa
Chet Culver
Image:Chet Culver inauguration.jpg
Incumbent
Assumed office January 12, 2007
Lieutenant(s)	Patty Judge
Preceded by	Tom Vilsack
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	January 25 1966 (1966-01-25) (age 43) Image:Flag of Washington, D.C..svg Washington, D.C.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mariclare Culver
Profession	Teacher
Religion	Presbyterian

Chester John "Chet" Culver (January 25, 1966–) is the current Governor of the U.S. state of Iowa, having won the 2006 election. His assumption of office marks the first time that Democrats have simultaneously controlled both the executive and legislative branches of Iowa's state government since the 1965–1967 session of the Iowa General Assembly. Culver is also the first Democratic governor in Iowa since Clyde L. Herring in 1937 to be elected to succeed another Democrat.

1 Background
2 2006 gubernatorial race
3 Electoral History
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Background

Chet Culver was born in Washington, D.C. on January 25, 1966 to John Culver and Ann Cooper. Culver's father John represented Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1974, and in the United States Senate from 1974 to 1980.^[1]

Culver attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in suburban Maryland, graduating in 1984. After graduation, Culver attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia on a football scholarship, where he earned a B.A. in political science.^[2] Culver then worked as a lobbyist from 1989 to 1990. The clients of the lobbying firm which employed Culver during this time included the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, Iowa Beef Processors, and Des Moines University.

Culver studied at Drake Law School, but did not graduate, before earning a masters degree in education from Drake University. Culver taught high school in Des Moines, Iowa prior to election as Secretary of State in 1998.

He currently resides in West Des Moines, Iowa with his wife Mariclare Thinnes Culver and their two children, Clare Honour and John William. He attends Central Presbyterian church in West Des Moines, where he serves as a church elder.

[edit] 2006 gubernatorial race

Main article: Iowa gubernatorial election, 2006

Culver's main opponents for the Democratic nomination were former director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development Mike Blouin and seven-term State Representative Ed Fallon. Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge was also running for the nomination, but after she withdrew from the race, she gave her support to Culver and became his running mate. Culver won the Democratic primary with 39% of the vote.

Culver faced Republican Congressman Jim Nussle of Manchester, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, in the general election. On November 7, 2006, after one of the most negative campaigns in recent Iowa history, both in the primary and subsequent general election, Culver defeated Nussle in the general election with 54% of the vote while Nussle won 44%, and minor party candidates won 2%.

[edit] Electoral History

Iowa Gubernatorial Election 2006
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Chet Culver	565,657	54.0	+1.7
	Republican	Jim Nussle	466,757	44.6	+0.1
	Green	Wendy Barth	7,722	0.7	-0.7
	Libertarian	Kevin Litten	5,621	0.5	-0.8
	Socialist Workers	Mary Martin	1,957	0.2	n/a
Majority			98,900	9.4
Turnout			1,047,714
	Democratic hold		Swing

[edit] References

^ Office of Governor and Lt. Governor. Retrieved on July 12, 2007.
^ B-CC High School Alumni News. Retrieved on July 12, 2007.

[edit] External links

Image:Commons-logo.svg

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Chet Culver

Iowa Governor Chet Culver official state site
National Governors Association - Iowa Governor Chet Culver biography
Follow the Money - Chet Culver & Patty Judge 2006 campaign contributions
On the Issues - Chet Culver issue positions and quotes
Project Vote Smart - Governor Chester J. 'Chet' Culver (IA) profile
Beaumont, Thomas. "Culver, Blouin battle for labor backing", Des Moines Register, 2/28/2006. (Retrieved 2/28/2006)

Preceded by Paul Pate	Iowa Secretary of State 1999-2007	Succeeded by Michael Mauro
Preceded by Tom Vilsack	Governor of Iowa 2007 - present	Succeeded by Incumbent