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����vlog EIGHT NEWS AT. I’M GOING TO GO AND LISTEN TO VOTERS. I’M GOING TO LISTEN TO REPUBLICAN ACTIVISTS AND CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND VOTERS IN GENERAL. AND AND TO SEE IF I HAVE THE SUPPORT TO FORM A RUN FOR THE 2026 CAMPAIGN. AT LEAST A HALF DOZEN IOWA REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID THEY MAY CONSIDER A RUN FOR GOVERNOR OF THE 2026 ELECTION. OF COURSE, NOW WIDE OPEN FOR BOTH PARTIES. AFTER GOVERNOR REYNOLDS ANNOUNCED SHE WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION. THAT NOW INCLUDES REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR MIKE BUFFALO. HE ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING THAT HE WILL TRAVEL THE STATE TO SEE IF HE HAS ENOUGH SUPPORT TO LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN. ����vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER IS IN STUDIO TONIGHT. AMANDA BUFFALO HAS SERVED IN THE IOWA HOUSE AND THE SENATE, AND NOW HE IS EYEING THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION. THAT’S RIGHT. NO. BUFFALO SERVED ONE YEAR IN THE IOWA HOUSE BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED TO THE IOWA SENATE IN 2022. HE GAINED A LOT OF ATTENTION THIS YEAR OVER A PROPOSAL TO BUY NINE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA COUNTIES. AND ALTHOUGH THAT NEVER CAME TO FRUITION, BUFFALO IS NOW EXPLORING A RUN FOR GOVERNOR. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SUPPORT WOULD BE THERE FOR MY RUN. REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR MIKE BUFFALO SAYS HIS BACKGROUND IN PUBLIC SERVICE GIVES HIM THE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY TO LEAD THE STATE OF IOWA. I’VE WORKED IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND I RUN TWO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES. I’M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE’VE DONE AT THE STATEHOUSE. I KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITIES TO HAVE JOBS. AND, YOU KNOW, A STATE GOVERNMENT THAT’S TRYING TO LOWER THE COST OF LIVING. HE SAYS HE’LL TALK WITH VOTERS AND REPUBLICAN ACTIVISTS ACROSS THE STATE BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT GOVERNOR CAN TAKE OUR MESSAGE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR ALL AND JOBS AND INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND CAN WIN THE GOVERNOR’S RACE IN 2026. BUFFALO HAS SUPPORT FROM HIS FORMER BOSS, TERRY BRANSTAD. WHEN BRANSTAD WAS GOVERNOR OF IOWA. BUFFALO SERVED AS HIS CHIEF OF STAFF UNTIL BRANSTAD LEFT TO BECOME U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA. IN A STATEMENT, BRANSTAD STOPPED SHORT OF A FULL ENDORSEMENT BUT SAID HE’S, QUOTE, PLEASED. BUFFALO IS CONSIDERING A RUN FOR GOVERNOR. AND THAT, QUOTE, MIKE HAS THE WORK ETHIC, VISION AND CHARACTER NECESSARY TO LEAD IOWA TO AN EVEN BRIGHTER FUTURE. ����vlog SPOKE TO BRANSTAD LAST WEEK ABOUT WHO HE WANTS TO LEAD THE STATE NEXT. I’LL WAIT UNTIL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND SEE WHO’S RUNNING. BUT I KNOW A LOT OF THEM, AND I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL. ANOTHER IOWA REPUBLICAN WHO COULD THROW HIS HAT IN THE RING, THIRD DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN ZACH NUNN. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I’M HEARING FROM IOWANS AND THAT WHEN WE DECIDE WHERE WE’RE GOING TO BE, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXECUTE ON THAT WITH FULL FORCE, AND ONE THAT’S GOING TO PUT IOWANS FIRST. U.S. HOUSE SEAT IS ONE OF THE MOST TIGHTLY CONTESTED IN THE COUNTRY. THE CONGRESSMAN TELLS ����vlog HE’S WEIGHING THAT WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE CLOSER TO HOME. HERE’S THE REALITY. I’VE GOT SIX LITTLE KIDDOS. THEY’RE ALL RIGHT HERE IN IOWA, TRAVELING BACK AND FORTH TO WASHINGTON IS A CHALLENGE FOR OUR FAMILY. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, BOTH KELLY AND I AND MY WIFE ARE VERY COMMITTED ON SAYING LIKE, WHERE CAN WE DO THE MOST GOOD AND HOW DO WE DO IT NOW? IOWA SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE MIKE NAIG IS ALSO CONSIDERING A RUN FOR THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION. IN A STATEMENT TO ����vlog, HE SAYS RIGHT NOW HE’S FOCUSED ON THE JOB HE WAS ELECTED TO DO. BEING THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, BUT THAT HE AND HIS FAMILY ARE, QUOTE, THOUGHTFULLY DISCUSSING THAT POSSIBILITY AND KEEPING ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE. HE SAYS HE’S, QUOTE, ALSO BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS ACROSS THE STATE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE’S A CLEAR PATH FORWARD AT THE STATE HOUSE, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PAT GRASSLEY AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE BOBBY KAUFMANN ARE BOTH CONSIDERING A RUN. SO IS IOWA ATTORNEY GENERAL BRENNA BIRD, NOW THE ONLY REPUBLICAN OFFICIALLY IN THE RACE IS FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE BRAD SHERMAN FROM EASTERN IOWA. NOW, LAST NOVEMBER, DEMOCRAT PAUL DAHL ANNOUNCED HE’S RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, STATE AUDITOR ROB SAND, IOWA’S ONLY STATEWIDE ELECTED DEMOCRAT, HAS BEEN FLOATED AS A POSSIBLE CONTENDER. THOUGH SAND HAS NOT OFFICIALLY THROWN HIS HAT IN THE RACE. BEN, THE