Long-serving Gov. Terry Branstad sworn in for sixth term

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad was officially sworn in for an unprecedented sixth term Friday, pledging to create a "blueprint for growth" through his efforts to create jobs, enhance education and improve infrastructure in the state.

The 68-year-old Republican took the oath of office at a convention center in downtown Des Moines before more than a thousand elected officials and GOP loyalists. In the crowd was New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, a potential 2016 presidential candidate.

"My message today is this: we are the architects of our future," Branstad said. "The state we all call home, this heart of the heartland, has an opportunity to grow."

Branstad was re-elected to a sixth non-consecutive term in November. He served four terms from 1983 through 1999 and left public office. In 2009, he announced plans to seek the governor's office again and was elected to a comeback term the following year.

During his inaugural address, Branstad hit on many of the themes he addressed earlier this week when he made his "Condition of the State" speech to the Legislature and presented a $7.3 billion budget plan. He promised to focus on job training, business incentives and improving infrastructure, including investing in broadband Internet and the state's network of bridges and roads.

"For growth we need a more skilled workforce and we also need more innovation and entrepreneurship in our state," Branstad said.

Branstad also touted his achievements from the previous term, including a property tax cut and new education investments. The governor has been praised for those efforts, though he is still working to deliver on some of the promises he made in 2010. In that campaign, he pledged to create 200,000 new jobs, increase family incomes and reduce the cost of government.

Branstad says he is delivering on those goals, though the details are complicated. On employment, Branstad counts the number of jobs added during his tenure, but not the jobs lost. By his count, the state has added over 160,000 jobs since January 2011, but the net gain in jobs has been about 82,500, according to data from Iowa Workforce Development.

Government spending has increased since Branstad took office, but his aides said that expenses have been held down compared to the previously projected costs. And on family income, Branstad's staff cites federal data that shows a jump in the overall personal income in the state, though Census data shows little change in the median household income in Iowa in recent years.

Branstad is the longest-serving governor in Iowa history and is the longest serving state governor in United States history, according to a website maintained by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. By the end of the year, he'll also overtake the all-time service record set by former New York Gov. George Clinton, whose time in office included many years before official statehood.

Inauguration festivities were set to continue throughout the day, culminating with a formal ball in the evening. About $1.25 million in private donations were raised for the events. Organizers said the inauguration would cost about $400,000 and at least $700,000 will go to the Branstad-Reynolds Scholarship Fund to endow college scholarships.