The Republican who ran for governor in 2002 is heading up Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s political effort in Iowa, laying the groundwork for Romney’s presidential campaign in 2008. Doug Gross will be chairman of Romney’s “Commonwealth” political action committee. “We plan to be active and very aggressive here in ’06 and be involved in legislative and local and statewide races,” Gross says.
Gross was a long-time aide to former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, a Republican, and Gross now practices law in Des Moines. Gross spoke with all of the potential G-O-P presidential candidates before landing on Romney’s team.”What really struck me about Mitt Romney is he’s truly an extraordinary person and I think these are extraordinary times,” Gross said, citing Romney’s role in salvaging the Salt Lake City Olympics after a scandal and becoming governor of Massachusetts, a liberal state, and instituting “conservative” reforms.
Romney’s lived his life “in a very, very honorable way” according to Gross, and stood up to the Massachusetts Supreme Court against the court’s ruling favoring gay marriage. Gross describes Romney as a “strong, low-tax, pro-growth” conservative. “I think he’ll have broad appeal,” Gross says.
Gross was Iowa finance committee chairman for George Bush’s 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns. Romney formed “The Commonwealth PAC” in 2004 and has used it to make campaign contributions to hundreds of Republican candidates across the country.