Iowa Governor's Race '10

There have been a number of names thrown around as potential candidates for the Republican nomination for the 2010 Iowa governor's race. I don't think anyone knows exactly all who will throw their hat in the ring - I sure don't. However, that hasn't stopped me from thinking about some of the potential candidates. Here are some of my thoughts on some of the candidates who have been mentioned.

Bill Northey - A good guy, I like him a lot. Currently he is the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and seems to be doing a good job - I voted for him in 2008 and am glad he won. I am not sure as to his ideas on the state as a whole, but it may not matter - right now - as there have been reports that he has decided not to run for governor at this time.

Steve King - What can I say about Steve? Steve is a strong, outspoken conservative currently representing the 5th District of Iowa (western Iowa) in the US House. Steve has been quite vocal on many issues and I have to admit that I agree with him a large majority of the time. He is a true patriot. I have voted for Steve every time he has run. While I like him, I am not sure how well he would do in a statewide race. Western Iowa is the most conservative part of the state and he does well here. Eastern Iowa is more progressive, ok, it is more liberal so the sledding may be a bit rough for Steve there. Personally, I would like to see Steve run for re-election to his seat in the US House.

Chris Rants - Chris serves in the Iowa state legislature representing the Sioux City area. Chris has potential. Maybe I don't know him well enough, but I don't think his time is now. Perhaps in a few more years?

Bob Vander Plaats - Bob is my choice for governor. I will get the negative out of the way first. The knock on Bob is that he is old news. He has run twice for the nomination already and was unsuccessful both times. True, he has run for the office before. However, my response to that is - Abraham Lincoln. Look up his track record. Bob is a great communicator. He reminds me of Ronald Reagan and Mike Huckabee in his communication skills. More importantly is what Bob communicates - the truth. Bob is right on the issues. He is a true conservative with great common sense. Bob has the right blend of social and fiscal conservatism that appeals to people of all across the state. I appreciate how Bob has run to the battle to keep traditional marriage as the standard. He is not afraid to speak out on the issues. I have yet to see him dodge an issue. While Bob is a conservative, he also has a strong sense of compassion - a valuable asset. Bob truly cares about people and the good people of Iowa deserve someone who is willing to put the people above political ambition. I will be supporting Bob Vander Plaats in the Republican primary next year.

Any of the above candidates would be a tremendous improvement over our present governor - Gov. Culver. As I started to write this my intention was to simply write a review of some of the candidates - sort of thinking out loud. In the end I guess it became an endorsement statement. So be it.

Vander Plaats for Governor!!
By the way, look for a Huck PAC endorsement of Bob to come in the future.