60-second spot features Braley and his mother Marcia
DES MOINES, IA - Braley for Iowa is launching its first television ad of the 2014 campaign for US Senate today. 

The minute-long spot highlights Rep. Bruce Braley's working background, and features Braley speaking about his upbringing and work experience with his mother Marcia. Braley, who grew up in Brooklyn, Iowa, worked jobs in road construction and at a grain elevator. Braley also worked to help put himself through college at Iowa State and law school at the University of Iowa.

Braley said, "I think you can tell a lot about someone by where they come from. I grew up in Brooklyn, Iowa, and worked to put myself through college at Iowa State, working jobs in road construction, at a grain elevator, and waiting tables. I grew up in a working family, and that's why fighting to strengthen and expand the middle class is the centerpiece of my campaign for US Senate."

The ad can be viewed at the following link: http://youtu.be/eE12svo8iug

Braley for Iowa will report over $3.1 million cash on hand as of March 31

DES MOINES, IA - Braley for Iowa announced today that nearly 8,000 Iowans from all 99 Iowa counties have contributed to Rep. Bruce Braley's campaign for US Senate since he announced last year that he was running to succeed Sen. Tom Harkin. Nearly 1,700 Iowans gave to Braley for the first time since January 1 alone.

Braley for Iowa also announced that it had received more than $1.25 million in contributions between January 1 and March 31, and had more than $3.1 million cash on hand at the end of March. Braley for Iowa has raised more than $5.25 million since Braley announced his candidacy.  

Braley for Iowa spokesman Jeff Giertz said, "With this outpouring of support, Iowans are saying loud and clear they want a Senator who will fight for the middle class to create jobs, help small businesses succeed, work to create economic opportunities, and protect Social Security and Medicare. Growing up in rural Iowa and working his way through college doing jobs like road construction, Bruce Braley understands the concerns of working Iowans, and he has a record of accomplishments for Iowa's working families. We look forward to continuing to discuss Bruce's pro-middle class message and building on our grassroots momentum all across the state."

Braley for Iowa's April Quarterly fundraising report is due to the Federal Election Commission on April 15.

Bruce Braley grew up in Brooklyn, Iowa, and worked his way through Iowa State and law school at the University of Iowa doing jobs in road construction, at a grain elevator, and waiting tables. For nearly 25 years, Bruce worked as an attorney in Waterloo, where he represented Iowans: farmers struggling through the farm crisis, people who lost their jobs, and families denied insurance benefits they deserved. 

With no prior political experience, Bruce was elected to the US House in 2006, and has been re-elected three times. Among his accomplishments, Bruce has successfully worked to cut taxes for small businesses that hire unemployed workers and veterans; created a job training program for Iowans seeking work in renewable energy; and secured back-pay that was denied to 800 Iowa National Guard members. Bruce is running for the US Senate to fight for the middle class because that's where he comes from.

Bruce lives in Waterloo with his wife, Carolyn. They have three grown children: Lisa, David, and Paul.

Last week, Bruce Braley took his Iowa Works tour to workplaces from the Missouri River to the Mississippi to highlight Iowans' hard work, promote the need for policies that strengthen the middle class and create good-paying jobs, and discuss his own working background.

Iowans learned about Bruce's plans to fight for middle class families, because that's where he comes from.


Council Bluffs

"What I'm doing this week is traveling around the state this week, stopping by businesses and showcasing many of the various jobs I worked as I was growing up in Iowa, including a number of jobs I did to help pay my way through college and law school. Some of those jobs were waiting tables, washing dishes and working as a cook and a bartender. So Duncan's Cafe was the perfect place for me to kick off the 'Iowa Works' tour." -Bruce Braley [KMALand, 3/19/14]

"Council Bluffs was Braley's first statewide stop visiting with Iowans about the need for policies that strengthen the middle class and create good-paying jobs. He even served coffee to Duncan patrons, something he did to pay for college at Iowa State University. In fact, he began delivering newspapers in the second grade and has been working ever since, doing other jobs like selling greeting cards, truck driving, even baling hay and shelling corn." [Council Bluffs Nonpareil, 3/20/14]


Salix

"Braley, who once worked in construction, told employees he understands what it means to work hard and provide for your family, which is why he believes training and union apprenticeship programs are needed for more local skilled jobs. 'We have to be looking at ways to get kids interested earlier in a career path that will lead them to a good paying job,' said the representative." [KMEG, 3/19/14]


Des Moines

"The Democrat from Eastern Iowa is in the middle of an 'Iowa Works' tour, where he's putting the focus on policies that strengthen Iowa's workforce. Thursday he was at the DMACC campus in Ankeny, at their Advanced Manufacturing Center. He spoke with students and teachers about job training and how to keep higher education affordable." [WOI-TV, 3/20/14]

"'The most important thing congress could do to help the middle class is restore the minimum wage and pass the bill that Senator Harkin and I have cosponsored in the House and Senate,' Braley says, 'and that would restore the minimum wage to the level of purchasing power to the level it had the last time that we increased it.'" [Radio Iowa, 3/21/14]


Ames

"Braley attended Iowa State University from 1976 to 1980, first studying journalism but graduating with a degree in political science before attending law school at the University of Iowa. He reminisced about his four years tending bar and washing dishes at Minsky's Pizza Joynt in west Ames, which closed in 2005, to pay his way through college. 'That's where I learned a lot about customer service jobs,' he said. And if you've ever been in a place like that after an Iowa State football game, or basketball game, you deal with high volumes of customers and you work extremely hard under stressful conditions." [Ames Tribune, 3/25/14]


Dougherty

"'I grew up in a small town, Brooklyn, Iowa. I spent a lot of my time working on farms just like this one,' said Braley. Braley has always had a connection to those making a living off the land and while Dougherty, Iowa may be a long way from Washington D.C., Braley says he knows how important rural jobs can be to the state's economy." [KIMT, 3/20/14]


Dubuque

"Braley said despite the resistance to a minimum wage hike ? particularly among Republicans ? he will continue to advocate. 'I'm going to keep talking about it because I think it's an important issue. Most people can't survive on a minimum wage job,' he said." [Telegraph Herald, 3/21/14]


Davenport

"He's focusing on policies that create jobs and boost the middle class. He visited the Republic Truck Company to emphasize the impact of good paying jobs on the Iowa economy. 'These types of jobs are the types of work people do every day,' said Braley. 'Nobody usually says thank you and yet they have an extraordinary impact on the people of Iowa.'" [WHBF, 3/21/14]

"'I know what it takes to get a commercial driver's license,' Braley said. 'I've driven a truck and worked construction to pay my way through school.' Making those regulations easier to understand cuts costs to business, which frees up money that can be used for further investment, he said." [Quad-City Times,3/21/14]


Cedar Rapids

"U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Braley concluded his Iowa Works tour at a Cedar River bridge that he said was replaced, in part, as a result of his legislative efforts to create a funding stream to replace bridges destroyed by the floods of 2008... During the Iowa Works campaign tour, Braley has highlighted Iowans' hard work, the need for policies that strengthen the middle class and create good-paying Iowa jobs, and discussed his own working background, which includes four summers working on bridge crews." [Quad-City Times, 3/24/14]

Braley tells delegates he'll fight to strengthen middle class because of working background
DES MOINES, IA - Rep. Bruce Braley today addressed delegates at Democratic county conventions held in Polk, Dallas, and Story counties, telling attendees that he's running for Senate to strengthen and expand the middle class.

Braley said, "I'm running for Senate to fight for Iowa's middle class because that's where I come from. Growing up in Brooklyn, Iowa, my parents taught me that there's value and dignity in having a job. So I started delivering newspapers in the 2nd grade and I've been working ever since, doing road construction and waiting tables to put myself through college, and standing up for Iowans against powerful interests as an attorney.

"Iowa deserves a Senator who will work every day to help small businesses succeed, create Iowa jobs, raise the minimum wage, and protect Social Security and Medicare. These are the pillars of a strong middle class, and that's what I'll fight for in the US Senate."

Braley attended the Polk County Democratic Convention at Lincoln High School in Des Moines, the Dallas County Democratic Convention at Dallas Center Elementary School in Dallas Center, and the Story County Democratic Convention at Iowa State's Memorial Union in Ames.

Bruce Braley was born in Grinnell and grew up in nearby Brooklyn, Iowa. His father, a Marine who fought on Iwo Jima in World War II, and his mother, a teacher, taught him the value of hard work. Braley worked jobs like road construction and truck driving to help pay his way through college and law school. As an attorney in Waterloo, Braley represented Iowans who took on powerful interests and big corporations. Elected to the US House in 2006, Braley has worked to create Iowa jobs, protect farms, strengthen small businesses, and stand up for veterans. Bruce Braley is running for Senate to fight for the things that matter most to Iowans. He'll fight for middle class families, because that's where he comes from.

Braley lives in Waterloo with his wife, Carolyn. They have three grown children: Lisa, David, and Paul.