Two of the five Republicans running for governor received major endorsements on Tuesday. The Family Leader, a rightwing Christian political organization that plays a prominent role in Iowa Republican politics, endorsed former Department of Administrative Services director Adam Steen. Shortly afterwards, Rep. Randy Feenstra’s campaign published an endorsement from former governor Terry Branstad, who was the state’s leading Republican politician for over two decades.
“I’m proud to endorse conservative Randy Feenstra for Governor,” Branstad said in the written statement from Feenstra’s campaign. “With his bold vision to take Iowa to new heights, I’m confident he will deliver conservative results for Iowa — and leave the state better than he found it.”
Branstad praised Feenstra for his support of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the former governor just referred to as “the largest tax cuts for working families in history,” as well as his support for a bill that requires ICE to detain any undocumented immigrant charged with causing a death or serious injury.
“Both Randy and I have worked with President Trump to make Iowa and America strong and I know that, as Governor, Randy will fully implement the America First agenda in Iowa,” Branstad said.
Branstad resigned as governor in 2017 to join the first Trump administration as ambassador to China. Although Feenstra has loyally voted in accordance with Trump’s wishes in Congress, the president has not endorsed him for governor. Trump has endorsed Feenstra’s House colleague Ashley Hinson in her run for Senate, as well as a Republican candidate in each of Iowa’s four House districts, but has not expressed a preference in the governor’s race.
In his statement responding to Brandstad’s endorsement, Feenstra referenced Trump twice.
“I’m honored to be endorsed by Ambassador Branstad, a great Governor and strong ally of President Trump. I was proud to work with him to cut taxes, invest in education, support Iowa agriculture, and grow our economy,” he said. “Ambassador Branstad laid the foundation for the conservative movement we’ve built in Iowa, and I look forward to building on those successes as Governor by working with President Trump. With Governor Branstad’s endorsement, I know that we will defeat Extreme Liberal Rob Sand and keep our state red.”
Branstad expanded on his endorsement of Feenstra in an op-ed published by the Gazette on Tuesday evening.
“Randy Feenstra is the conservative leader with a clear vision and the executive skills to make our state stronger and deliver for Iowa,” Branstad wrote in the op-ed. He told readers to “look to neighboring states of Illinois and Minnesota to see what the alternative looks like.”
According to Branstad, Feenstra will “stop our kids from being one of our top exports by making Iowa a place where great jobs, great opportunities, and great communities keep our kids here at home.”
Branstad also used the op-ed to attack Rob Sand, the Democratic candidate for governor. Like Feenstra, Branstad calls Sand “an extreme liberal” who will “raise taxes and allow boys to compete in girls’ sports.” The first of those two claims is the standard claim Republican politicians make about Democratic politicians, the second is a lie.
Sand has been consistent about his position on the restrictions on transgender rights Gov. Reynolds has signed into law. He opposed Reynolds stripping protections against gender identity discrimination from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, but supports the law banning transgender girls and women from competing on school and college teams that match their gender identity.
Another of Branstad’s statements about Sand is, at best, misleading.
“When an illegal immigrant was found to be running the Des Moines Public School District, registered to vote illegally, and was caught with a loaded gun and cash stashed in his district-issued car, Rob Sand stayed silent. In fact, Rob Sand gave this illegal immigrant criminal his top award in 2023.”
No one other than former superintendent Ian Roberts and federal immigration agents were aware of Roberts’ immigration status before his arrest on Sept. 26. Two days after the arrest, Sand released a statement about Roberts on his campaign’s social media sites.
“I understand why people are worried, scared, and upset about the situation with Dr. Ian Roberts,” Sand’s statement began.
Sand noted that at that time, information about the charges against Roberts was still limited.
“I spent seven years as a prosecutor working with law enforcement to hold lawbreakers accountable,” he continued. “Our laws matter. So do facts.”
“So I don’t feel it’s responsible to weigh in on matters where so many facts are still unknown.”
Sand said he would “continue monitoring the situation as we learn more” and concluded his statement by saying “it’s important now more than ever to bring the temperature down — and we all have that responsibility.”
The following month, Sand, as Iowa State Auditor, announced his office would conduct audits of Des Moines Public Schools to examine issues and processes related to Roberts, and of the process the Iowa Department of Education’s Board of Educational Examiners used to award Roberts the license he needed to be superintendent.
As for the “top award,” in 2023, Sand presented Des Moines Public Schools with a Public Innovations and Efficiencies Award for its Food Rescue Program, which is aimed at reducing food waste in schools. Roberts accepted the award on behalf of the school district for the program it launched in 2015, eight years before he was hired as superintendent.
The Family Leader’s endorsement of Adam Steen, announced by its President and CEO Bob Vander Plaats at the Iowa State Capitol, was more straightforward.
The Family Leader is best known for its opposition to LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights and its support for policies that adhere to conservative evangelical Christian priorities. “Biblically Engaging America Government to Transform America,” the landing page of its website states.
“Let me tell you, from my own lips, who I am: I am the faith guy,” Adam Steen said as he kicked off his campaign at Berean Church in Pleasant Hill in August. “I’m a Jesus guy. I’m a Make America Great Again guy. I’m a common-sense policy, America first, people first guy.”
In February, Vander Plaats endorsed Steen in his personal capacity. The event on Tuesday was to announce the organization is backing Steen.
“Members of the board and I have looked at the field and we’ve discussed this,” Vander Plaats said. “This is one of the biggest decisions for the state of Iowa in a decade.”
According to Vander Plaats, “The Family Leader board unanimously and enthusiastically is going all in for Adam Steen to win the governor’s race.”
“Not only do we believe Adam is the most qualified, but we also believe he’s the best-positioned to win the governorship and take the baton from Kim Reynolds to keep Iowa moving forward,” he explained.
Vander Plaats said that members of Congress make poor gubernatorial candidates in Iowa. He pointed to the examples of Jim Ross Lightfoot, who lost to Democrat Tom Vilsack in 1998, and Jim Nussle, who lost to Democrat Chet Culver in 2004, as well as Fred Grandy, the former Love Boat star who chose not to run for reelection to Congress in 1994 in order to challenge incumbent Terry Branstad, who defeated Grandy in the Republican primary.
“Without question, there’s enough things that divide us here in the state of Iowa,” Vander Plaats said. “When you look across the country, there’s a lot of things that divide and people are looking to put the blame on somebody. And I believe Randy Feenstra is going to carry that bag. And when Rob Sand makes him carry that bag, Rob Sand will be your next governor.”
