Iowa Gov. Chet Culver has officially come out against the National Popular Vote bill currently being considered in the state Senate. His staff released the following statement.

“As a former history teacher and Secretary of State, Governor Culver knows the important role that Iowa has in selecting the next President of the United States – both during the nominating season and the general election. As the last three elections have shown, Iowa is now a battleground state, and, as such, the issues of Iowans are heard by the candidates of both parties. If we require our electoral college votes to be cast to the winner of the national popular vote, we lose our status as a battleground state and the opportunity to ensure that the ideas that are important on Iowa’s Main Streets remain important on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.  That is why Governor Culver opposes any legislation that would require Iowa’s Electoral College votes to be cast for the winner of the national popular vote.”

Earlier Tuesday, Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro declared his opposition to the measure that would require that Iowa enter a compact with other states and agree to cast its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote.

The announcements from Culver and Mauro put them in direct opposition to Democratic leadership in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, released a statement shortly after the governor’s laying out why he supports the bill.

It is mystifying to me why anyone would cling to an antiquated, winner-take-all Electoral College system that allows a person to be elected to the Presidency without winning the most popular votes nationwide. The popular vote reforms will fix this problem and make sure that every Iowan’s vote is counted in every election.