By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The first of four televised debates featuring the two candidates for governor is tonight.

The debate, hosted by KWQC TV in the Quad Cities, kicks off the final month of campaigning before the November 3 General Election. The candidates have been making their cases to voters at town hall-style events.

Democrat Rob Sand has held a town hall in each Iowa county. He spoke to 1800 people at his 100th town hall of the year last Wednesday in West Des Moines.

“Our system for solving problems ain’t solving problems. It’s getting politicians re-elected. It’s serving insiders. It’s serving special interest groups. It’s not serving Iowans,” Sand said.

Sand said Iowans are worried about what’s happened to the state and bipartisan solutions are what’s needed. “If we stay in our little tents and our little camps, spread apart from each other it’s going to be hard to do this,” Sand said, “and so we have to work together.”

Republican Zach Lahn’s campaign website shows he has 15 counties left in his own 99 county tour. He spoke to a crowd of about 300 in Grimes last Wednesday. “They are trying everything they can do to convince all of your in this room that your lives as Iowans are terrible. It’s just not true,” Lahn said. “…Let me tell you, change is not a campaign platform. It was in 2008 and I would just ask: ‘How did that turn out for our country.’ Not very well.”

Lahn said Iowa is ranked as the most affordable state and one of the best places to retire, but he said there are things to improve upon. “For far too long in every single level of government special interests, corporate giants and lobbyists have had far too much control. Our campaign is a repudiation of that idea completely. This is about putting Iowa first,’” Lahn said..

Election Day is 28 days away.