Iowa Sen. Nancy Boettger, R-Harlan, has announced her endorsement of presidential candidate Sam Brownback. It’s a decision, she says, based on the Kansas senator’s religious values.

“As a former educator, I know the importance of Sunday school values in our children’s lives,” Boettger said in a statement released this morning. “Sen. Brownback proudly invites God back into our schools and public square, and he knows we must get the basics right to secure a prosperous future for our children and our grandchildren.”

Boettger is a 13-year veteran of the Legislature and joins fellow Sen. Mark Zierman, R-Postville, in the Brownback camp.

“As a farmer, I know that Sen. Brownback understands the economic issues and social values of the agricultural community,” she added. “Sen. Brownback grew up on a farm in Kansas, was the youngest state secretary of agriculture in Kansas history, and learned from a young age the Midwestern values he shares with Iowa.”