Who will lead the Iowa GOP?

Five men are seeking the position of chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa (RPI), a job that could be decided sooner rather than later.

The Republican Party of Iowa is selecting a new chairman to replace Stewart Iverson.

While the party’s bylaws state that the State Central Committee vote on the chairmanship is to take place in January, some believe the matter could be taken up Saturday when the group holds its December meeting.

Republicans have already selected new leadership in both the House and the Senate, leaving the state party chairmanship as one of the final pieces to the puzzle in determining the future of a GOP that has fallen on hard times in Iowa.

Former Speaker Pro Tempore of the Iowa House Danny Carroll confirmed to the Iowa Independent that he is running for the position. Carroll served six terms in the Iowa House before being defeated by Eric Palmer in 2006. He was defeated a second time by Palmer in November.

“I saw an opportunity to offer my experience over the last 20 years in elected politics,” he said.

Carroll declined to comment further, saying he wants to respect the process of the State Central Committee.

State Central Committee member Mathew Randall also confirmed to the Iowa Independent that he wants to be the next RPI chairman. Randall is vice president of operations for Randall Corp. in Ames. He also declined to comment further, saying he did not wish to alienate any of the other candidates or his fellow Central Committee members.

Polk County Republican Party Chairman Ted Sporer has made his intentions to run for state chairman public on several occasions, both on his blog and on the radio program of Christian conservative Steve Deace. Sporer did not respond to several requests for comment.

Paul Pate, who has previously served as Iowa’s secretary of state and as mayor of Cedar Rapids, announced his desire to serve as RPI chair in an e-mail to several Central Committee members and county chairs. Included in that e-mail was his outline for “victory in 2010.”

Another candidate for the position is Christopher Reed, who ran an unsuccessful campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin. Reed, who owns a telecommunications business in Marion, said several Central Committee members have contacted him about running, and while he is interested and will serve if elected, he will not be actively campaigning for the position.

State GOP Treasurer Gopal Krishna has been the center of several rumors saying he is seeking the position. Some conservative bloggers, like Grant Young and anonymous blogger Krusty Konservative, had suggested Krishna and Sporer had partnered to try to push a vote on the chairman position before January.

Krishna told the Iowa Independent that there is no truth to the rumor, adding that the bloggers are trying to divide the party.

“We can express opinions without bashing people,” he said. “I try not to pay attention to them.”

Krishna added that while several members of the State Central Committee have approached him about running, he has not decided whether he will enter the race.

“Right now it’s too premature for me to even talk about it,” he said.

Carroll, Randall, Reed and Krishna all said they believe the vote on the chairmanship should follow the party’s bylaws and take place in January.