(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has taken the oath of office for a second full term as Iowa’s governor.

“I am so honored to be here and I want to just start by saying, ‘Thank you,'” Reynolds said at the start of her inaugural address. “‘Thank you, Iowans, for the trust you’ve placed in me and for giving me the indescribable honor of serving as the governor of this great state.” Reynolds has been Iowa’s chief executive for more than five-and-a-half years. She took over in mid-2017 after Governor Terry Branstad resigned and now Reynolds has won two statewide races on her own. Today (Friday), Reynolds talked at length about governing during the pandemic. Then, after Reynolds criticized other states and the federal government for pandemic-related shutdowns, the crowd gave Reynolds a standing ovation.

“It’s because states like Iowa had the courage and the sense to swim against the current, today we rarely see public officials make the case for such policies,” she said. “In fact, we often hear denials they did.” Reynolds spent a long segment of her address talking about the 2024 Iowa Caucuses.

Gov. Kim Reynolds-(IPBS photo)

Reynolds said Iowans will be able to sort through the candidates and choose the one who exhibits good moral character. She also challenged Democrats to reconsider their decision to skip Iowa and have South Carolina host the first voting event on their presidential selection calendar. Earlier this week, Reynolds outlined her 2023 legislative agenda in a speech to the Iowa General Assembly. Today (Friday), Reynolds addressed most of the same legislators, along with a large group of campaign supporters and her family.

“We’ve built such a strong foundation upon which Iowa can continue to rise. A place where children and parents come before special interests, where life is protected, and work is rewarded,” she says. A place where families thrive, businesses grow, and government is responsive to the people. And this is the work we will continue to do.”