‘What the hell, Kim?’ Iowa governor candidate Rick Stewart roasts Kim Reynolds on marijuana

Standing on the east facet of the Mississippi River, Libertarian governor candidate Rick Stewart opens his first tv advert by calling Gov. Kim Reynolds by her first title and questionning her resistance to legalized marijuana.

“What the hell, Kim?” he says. “Right here I’m in Illinois — why, just a few miles from the Iowa border — they usually’ve obtained authorized hashish.”

Stewart, who has made ending the struggle on medication and permitting using psychedelics for remedy a serious focus of his marketing campaign, launched his new advert over the weekend.

The 60-second spot, titled “Expensive Kim, ‘WEED!’” is framed as a message aimed immediately at Reynolds’ opposition to legalizing marijuana — one thing each of her opponents within the governor’s race assist. 

Extra: Iowa governor candidate Rick Stewart resumes marketing campaign after suspending it as a result of protest arrest

Reynolds opposes the legalization of hashish, and Democrat Deidre DeJear helps legalizing and regulating using hashish for adults 21 and older, much like alcohol.

Reynolds’ marketing campaign declined a request for touch upon the advert. 

Shot on the Iowa-Illinois border, Stewart’s advert contrasts the totally different approaches the 2 states take to hashish.

Illinois legalized it for leisure use beginning in 2020. However Iowa’s regulation bans it.

“Our legal guidelines in the present day in Iowa put individuals into rape cages as a result of they smoked marijuana,” Stewart says. “You are going to lose your school scholarship, you are going to lose your job, you are going to lose your youngsters — you are going to lose every part as a result of right here in Iowa we predict hashish is a gateway drug. Properly, a gateway to what?”

Extra: Rick Stewart, a candidate for Iowa governor, pauses marketing campaign after magic mushroom protest arrest

The advert’s unorthodox, quippy tone alternates between photographs of Stewart talking on to the digital camera with photographs of him driving across the Iowa-Illinois border together with his marketing campaign trailer.

At one level, Stewart lists names of presidents who reportedly smoked weed previously, with the advert flashing edited images of them with smoke popping out of their mouths, cigarettes of their fingers. 

In an announcement, Stewart stated making marijuana use a felony offense wastes taxpayer sources and results in a racial disparity in arrests. He stated restrictions in Iowa’s medical marijuana regulation additionally forestall many from getting hashish to assist deal with their well being points. 

Stewart informed the Des Moines Register in an electronic mail the advert will run on-line, on cable tv and on streaming TV. Stewart stated he estimates the advert will start airing on cable tv in early October.

Extra: Libertarian Rick Stewart requires authorized psychedelics, one-room schoolhouses

Stewart and his operating mate Marco Battaglia are hoping to unseat Reynolds, who’s looking for her second full time period in workplace. Reynolds at present holds a large benefit in fundraising and polling over Stewart and DeJear.

A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Ballot in July discovered she led DeJear by 17 factors, 48% to 31%, with Stewart trailing far behind at 5%. Reynolds has additionally amassed a big lead in fundraising. 

Reynolds launched her first tv advert earlier this month. DeJear has but to launch a tv advert. 

Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Des Moines Register. Attain him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.