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Numerous sources have confirmed to The Iowa Independent that a deal is close to completion for Bob Vander Plaats to endorse Republican gubernatorial nominee Terry Branstad.
Bob Vander Plaats, left, and Terry Branstad (photo by Dave Davidson, www.TEApublican.com)
A high-ranking Republican politician with close ties to Branstad’s campaign said Vander Plaats would not be seeking an independent bid for governor this fall, then added that a Vander Plaats endorsement of Branstad would likely come soon and result in Vander Plaats receiving a post in a Branstad administration.
The scenario was confirmed by several sources close to both Branstad and Vander Plaats, with the most likely position allegedly being an appointment to lead the Iowa Department of Economic Development.
One source put the likelihood of a deal being struck at “75 to 85 percent.”
The two former rivals for the Republican nomination met shortly after the primary to discuss uniting the fractured party. However, the meeting did not go well, and Vander Plaats refused to endorse the nominee. At the Republican Party of Iowa convention last month, nearly half the delegates unsuccessfully tried to force Branstad to choose Vander Plaats as his running mate. And since then, Vander Plaats has been openly mulling an independent run for governor this fall.
Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht could not be reached for comment.
Vander Plaats supporter and Christian radio host Steve Deace said if an endorsement were in the works, it would have little impact as long as Branstad continues to alienate evangelical voters. In fact, it could actually damage Vander Plaats’ standing, since many of his biggest supporters — including the influential Christian organization, the Iowa Family Policy Center — have vowed to sit out the fall campaign because of Branstad’s positions on certain issues.
“If Bob endorses Branstad without Branstad reaching out to Bob’s voters on the issues it won’t help Branstad, but it will hurt Bob with his own base and render him irrelevant in this state going forward,” Deace said. “On the other hand, if Branstad were to reach out to Bob’s base on the issues he wouldn’t need an endorsement from Bob at all. For the vast majority of Vander Plaats voters I have talked to, this is about issues and not personalities, and it has to be about an issue more substantive than ‘aren’t the Democrats icky.’”
Graham Gillette, who runs a public affairs/communications firm and occasionally blogs for The Des Moines Register, said some recent public statements by Branstad about immigration and same-sex marriage show he’s still trying to court Vander Plaats’ supporters.
Wednesday, Branstad told a crowd in Clarinda that any immigrant stopped by police for a traffic violation should have to prove their citizenship or face deportation, a position that puts him in line with Arizona’s controversial immigration law. He had previously indicated that he would not support that type of law, saying, “We’re not Arizona. We’re not a border state. We ought to do something that fits the needs of our state, Iowa.”
Earlier in the week, Branstad told The Des Moines Register that if he wins and Republicans take back the Iowa House, a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage could be passed, even with Democrats in control of the Iowa Senate.
“Bob Vander Plaats’ future as a conservative leader may be enhanced if he can portray himself to those on the right as the one who forced Terry Branstad to take a stronger stand on certain social issues,” Gillette said. “Look at Branstad’s comments this week on some of these topics, i.e., immigration and gay marriage. One would think Branstad would be moving to the middle as he inches toward the general election match-up. He isn’t. He is still trying to appease those on the right, mainly the Vander Plaats crowd. Branstad’s pandering to those on the right in July is fascinating when coupled with Vander Plaats’ new found silence.”
This new focus on social issues could be further proof a deal is in the works, Gillette said.
“If Vander Plaats joins Branstad, conservatives like those at [the Iowa Family Policy Center] will be able to say Vander Plaats helped secure certain commitments from Branstad,” he said. “This gives these folks an alternative to the dead-end road of sitting out this election. They would rather have a seat at the next governor’s table of advisers than be seen for the next four years as the ones who stayed home and did nothing.”
Reporter Andy Kopsa also contributed to this story.
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