I am thrilled with the election of Chet Culver and Patty Judge as Governor and Lt. Governor and our victories in Iowa's General Assembly. Through so many months of hard work on the campaign trail, Iowa made history last night.
Iowans have ensured that the progress we have made together will continue long after my term as governor is up. Confident in the abilities of newly elected leaders, I know our children will have access to ever-improving schools. And under Governor Culver's administration, Iowa will continue to create good-paying jobs, ensure access to healthcare and maintain our status as a renewable fuels leader.
Nationally, the vote today was a mandate for change in Washington. It was a call to get our country back on track with common sense ideas and Heartland values. That mandate of responsibility spreads across our great country.
You did it. Democrats across the country took this election into their hands in all 50 states and made our victories possible.
In addition to Democratic victories in the U.S. Congress -- we regained the majority of Governorships, expanded our lead in state legislatures, and elected Democratic Secretaries of State in Ohio, Minnesota, Nevada, and Iowa.
But yesterday was also a reminder how important those Secretary of State races are. We had a very well run election here in Iowa thanks to the hard work and fairness of our election officials, beginning with Secretary of State Chet Culver. That's the good news.
The bad news is that six years after the 2000 Flordia recount crisis, we still have a long way to go in protecting every Americans' right to vote. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, that's unacceptable. We can't let victory let us lose sight of that.
Despite these issues, Americans turned out to choose candidates that offered big ideas and real plans of action. They chose candidates with optimism and experience to address the many issues we face.
With the celebrations dying down, it's not too early to get back to work in earnest. I know that we can do it together.