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Iowa Democratic Party: Vander Plaats fills war chest as Iowa GOP continues to show unease with Branstad
1/19/2010

Contact: Ali Glisson
515-244-7292

DES MOINES, IA – “It looks like Bob Vander Plaats’ message is paying some dividends – literally - with Iowa Republicans troubled by Terry Branstad’s record of tax increases, fiscal mismanagement, state debt and other ‘mistakes,’” Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan said Tuesday.

For the recently ended campaign reporting period, Vander Plaats’ total contributions were more than $650,000 when contributed goods and services are included.   Vander Plaats also enjoys the support of an impressive 1,200 contributors, Kiernan said.  

Kiernan noted Vander Plaats last week earned the support of Iowa Family PAC, the political arm of the Iowa Family Policy Center, a long-influential statewide conservative group.  “Vander Plaats message drives his money, while Branstad is counting on the opposite effect,” Kiernan said.   

“There is a grassroots network of social conservatives in this state who make up much of the backbone of the Republican Party,” Kiernan said.  “They are with Vander Plaats, and its clear they are providing the resources to make him competitive in this primary race.”

Kiernan said many Republicans are reaching the same conclusion as Democrats and Independents and rejecting Branstad’s record.  Branstad raised the sales tax twice, the gas tax, business taxes and wanted to raise taxes on senior’s social security benefits.  He also ran up a $430,000,000 state budget deficit and put the state more than a billion dollars in debt (in today’s dollars).

Kiernan said a drawn-out, expensive, difficult primary lies ahead for Vander Plaats and Branstad. 


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