Political scientists say endorsements can have an impact in tight races and endorsements may be a factor as five candidates compete in this year’s Republican Primary for governor.
Bob Vander Platts, CEO of The Family Leader, has endorsed and campaigned with presidential candidates in the past and Vander Plaats endorsed former state agency director Adam Steen in the GOP governor’s race this week. Vander Plaats told The Des Moines Register he made the personal endorsement of Steen because Steen shares his worldview and is getting support from the party’s Christian conservative base. Vander Plaats said that will be a key segment of voters in the November election.
Steen has criticized GOP rival Randy Feenstra, Iowa’s fourth district congressman, for skipping campaign events, like last month’s debate hosted by Moms for Liberty. “Randy Feenstra and his absence and his inability and unwillingness to talk to the taxpayers, to talk to the people who are making decision, that puts our state at risk…If Feenstra’s the candidate, Rob Sand’s your next governor and we are toast as a state,” Steen said, to cheers.
Feenstra, meanwhile, is asking President Trump for his endorsement. Feenstra made his case directly to Trump, as Feenstra flew on Air Force One during the president’s trip to Iowa last week. “I’m going to earn his endorsement,” Feenstra said, “but we’re working on that process.”
Feenstra told reporters spent a lot of time with Trump during the trip. “We talked about how we’re going to continue to grow our economy and, again, keep America First,” Feenstra said. “We also talked about making sure that our state stays red and that our nation, make sure we stay red and keep extreme liberals from trying to run their progressive agenda in this country.”
Radio Iowa recently asked Feenstra whether an endorsement from Trump is necessary to win the primary. This was his response: “I just want to say I think the world of Trump. We have done so many things. I helped write the ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’ From January to June, every day I went to the Library of Congress to write the working tax cut, family bill and I look forward to seeing how that’s gong to really expand our economy and, again, furthering Trump agenda as we move forward.”
Feenstra has raised over $4.3 million for his campaign, more than his four Republican competitors combined. The Make America Healthy Again or MAHA PAC founded by some associates of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has endorsed Zach Lahn, a businessman and farmer from Belle Plaine who’s worked for Americans for Prosperity and has managed political campaigns. Lahn is telling audiences, like last week’s Moms for Liberty crowd, that he’s best positioned as the alternative to Feenstra. “You can go to all 99 counties in this state. There might be 100 activists in each of those counties. That’s 10,000 people. 200,000 people are going to vote in the Republican Primary, so who’s talking to the other 190,000 people? It’s the person who has the money,” Lahn said. “I put $2 million of my own money into this campaign. I’ve raised $400,000 this month and I know that’s actually what they look at when they say: ‘Who is the threat here?'”
The two other candidates in the race discount the importance of fundraising. Brad Sherman, a Williamsburg pastor who announced he was running for governor last February, said at the Moms for Liberty event that he’s visited each of Iowa’s 99 counties. The lasted report shows he raised over $200,000 for his campaign. “I know a lot of money changes hands and it sure seems to me like, just connecting the dots, money sometimes makes money change their definition of right and wrong,” Sherman said, “and I promise that’s not going to happen to me.”
State Representative Eddie Andrews of Johnston has raised about $40,000. Andrews said he disagrees “with the premise” that money matters in the Republican Primary. Andrews said whoever wins the GOP nomination will get a wave of donations. “We just need enough money to get to June 2,” Andrews said at the Moms for Liberty debate, “because after that, the money’s there.”
Iowa’s Primary Election is June 2. The General Election is November 3.