Vander Plaats: No decision on independent candidacy

Bob Vander Plaats has not yet decided whether he will launch an independent or third-party campaign for governor this fall, he said Friday during an interview with Christian radio host Steve Deace.

Bob Vander Plaats (photo by Dave Davidson, www.TEApublican.com)

Vander Plaats finished second in the GOP primary behind former Gov. Terry Branstad, garnering 40 percent of the vote. He said since that time, he has not been convinced Branstad is interested in running a campaign based on conservative principles.

He said his meeting with Branstad last week did not go well, and he was told by the former governor’s advisers that “this race would be won with independents.” He said since the meeting there have been no attempts to garner his endorsement.

“I have not even been invited to the state convention,” he said, although he indicated he’ll likely still attend.

The only way he would ever consider running as an independent candidate, he said, was if he had a real chance of winning and “if I believe that was the only way to be a voice and champion for these issues.”

He said he has no interest, no desire, no intent to run as an independent, but if he thinks Branstad won’t push an agenda that will re-energize the party’s base, he may enter the campaign.

Vander Plaats said he asked whether the Branstad campaign is concerned about the conservative voters who have said they won’t support the GOP nominee.

“The answer was, ‘no, who else are they going to vote for,” he said, later adding that the Republican establishment has shown complete disdain for it’s own base.

“People want to put principles and issues over politics,” he said. “They want to put principles and issues over party.”

He later added that the “only way we lose this election is with a divided or a fracture base,” and said if the party isn’t fixed, it could not only damage the GOP’s hopes of winning the governor’s seat but also races down the ballot.

The idea of a Vander Plaats independent campaign first emerged back in January. After the politically influential Iowa Family Policy Center announced it was not only endorsing Vander Plaats but also refusing to support Branstad if he was the nominee, the Linn County Republican Party passed a loyalty oath, demanding the candidates promise to support the eventual nominee. Vander Plaats was the only candidate who refused to sign on.

Since then, though, Vander Plaats has repeatedly denied that he is interested in an independent campaign, first to the National Journal, then during one of three GOP gubernatorial debates and lastly on primary night to The Iowa Independent.

Last week, though, rumors of an independent run began swirling again, after the meeting between Vander Plaats and Branstad reportedly did not go well.

Bill Salier, a former candidate for U.S. Senate who endorsed Vander Plaats during the primary, said last week that while an independent campaign would almost assuredly end with another term for Democratic Gov. Chet Culver, it would also “put a hurt locker on the Republican establishment machine. If that’s his goal, then do it.”

Ultimately, Vander Plaats remained coy about his future plans.

“I am walking off the field with my head help up high, but I’m not leaving either,” he said. “I mean, I am going to stay in the game because I feel I owe it to a lot of people to be their voice, maybe to be their face on a lot of issues.”