Republican Party of Iowa
Encyclopedia
The Republican Party of Iowa is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party
in Iowa
. The State Central Committee is led by Chairman Matt Strawn
and Co-Chairman Bill Schickel. The Iowa Republican Party sponsors the Ames Straw Poll
and runs the Republican side of the Iowa Caucus
.
The Iowa Republican Party was founded on an anti-slavery
platform in 1856 by citizens dissatisfied with the existing Whig
and Democratic
Parties. Samuel J. Kirkwood
, abolitionist and later Iowa's Civil War governor, is credited as one of the principal founders. Summoned from his mill at Coralville
and still coated in flour dust, Kirkwood gave a rousing speech at the founding meeting of the Republican Party of Iowa in February 1856 in Iowa City
. Many people credited Kirkwood’s speech and subsequent work with the success of the party in Iowa. Pro-Union
sentiment during and after the Civil War
helped the party to expand in importance. Between 1858 and 1932 the Republicans won every Iowa gubernatorial election, with the exception of 1890, when Horace Boies
, a former Republican, was elected because of his opposition to Prohibition
. In 1932 electoral frustration with the Great Depression
and Prohibition led to the re-emergence of the Democratic Party in Iowa. Historically the party has held the Governor's office – 30 of Iowa's 41 governors have been Republicans.
In 2008 former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
grew in name recognition because of his Iowa victory and grew his national profile. In 2000 with a potentialy heated nomination fight between then Texas Governor George W. Bush
and Arizona Senator John McCain
; Bush who carried the state with 41% of the vote set the tone for his campaign set up a successful run for the Republican Nomination and the Presidency.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. The State Central Committee is led by Chairman Matt Strawn
Matt Strawn
Matthew "Matt" Strawn is a businessman from Ankeny, Iowa who in 2009 was elected state chairman of the Iowa Republican Party. Under the direction of Republican Governor Terry Branstad, Strawn ran for reelection unopposed in 2011, for another two year term.-References:...
and Co-Chairman Bill Schickel. The Iowa Republican Party sponsors the Ames Straw Poll
Ames Straw Poll
The Ames Straw Poll is a presidential straw poll taken by Iowa Republicans. It occurs in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University, on a Saturday in August of years in an election cycle in which the Republican presidential nomination seems to be undecided...
and runs the Republican side of the Iowa Caucus
Iowa caucus
The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1784 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99 conventions...
.
Current Republican officeholders
The Republican Party of Iowa controls 5 of the 7 statewide offices and hold a majority in the Iowa House of Representatives. Republicans also hold one of the state's U.S. Senate seats and two of its five U.S. House seats.U.S. House of Representatives
- Tom LathamTom LathamThomas "Tom" Latham is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
, 4th DistrictColorado's 4th congressional districtColorado's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district encompasses most of the rural Eastern Plains as well as the larger cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Longmont along Colorado's Front... - Steve KingSteve KingSteven Arnold "Steve" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district is located in the western part of the state and includes Sioux City and Council Bluffs....
, 5th DistrictColorado's 5th congressional districtColorado's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district lies in the center of the state and mostly comprises Colorado Springs and its suburbs including Cimarron Hills and Fort Carson....
Statewide offices
- Governor: Terry E. Branstad Terry E. BranstadTerry Edward Branstad is an American politician who is the 42nd and current Governor of Iowa since January 2011. Branstad was the 39th Governor of Iowa from 1983 to 1999 and President of Des Moines University from 2003 to 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is the youngest and...
- Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of IowaThis is a List of Lieutenant Governors of the U.S. state of Iowa, 1858 to present. In Iowa, the Lieutenant Governor and the governor run together on the same ticket. Before the 1998 Election, the law was changed from the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor running separately....
: Kim ReynoldsKim ReynoldsKim Reynolds is the 47th and current Lieutenant Governor of Iowa and a former state senator from Osceola. Republican nominee for Governor Terry Branstad publicly proposed Reynolds for lieutenant governor on June 25, 2010 and she received the Republican nomination from the 2010 Republican State... - Secretary of StateIowa Secretary of StateThe Iowa Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Iowa and is elected every four years. The Office of the Secretary of State is divided into four divisions: Elections and Voter Registration, Business Services, Administrative Services, and Communications and Publications...
: Matt SchultzMatt SchultzMatt Schultz is an attorney and the current Iowa Secretary of State. He was a member of the Council Bluffs City Council, a position he has held from 2005 to 2011. On October 31, 2009, he announced his candidacy for the office of secretary of state and challenge incumbent Democrat Michael Mauro for... - State Auditor: David Vaudt
- Secretary of Agriculture: Bill NortheyBill NortheyWilliam Howard "Bill" Northey is an Iowan politician, a member of the Republican Party, and the current Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. He was elected on November 7, 2006 and was sworn in on January 2, 2007...
State Central Committee
The State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Iowa is composed of the National Committeeman and National Committeewoman, and representatives elected by the District Caucus from each Congressional District. The number of Central Committee members that each Congressional District is allotted is based on the the following table:.| Number of Congressional Delegates | Number of Representatives for Each Congressional District |
|---|---|
| 7 | 2 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 |
| 4 | 5 |
| 3 | 6 |
| 2 | 7 |
Early history
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
platform in 1856 by citizens dissatisfied with the existing Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Parties. Samuel J. Kirkwood
Samuel J. Kirkwood
Samuel Jordan Kirkwood , was an American politician best known as Iowa's American Civil War Governor. He also served in the U.S. Senate and as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.-Early life and career:...
, abolitionist and later Iowa's Civil War governor, is credited as one of the principal founders. Summoned from his mill at Coralville
Coralville, Iowa
Coralville is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and still coated in flour dust, Kirkwood gave a rousing speech at the founding meeting of the Republican Party of Iowa in February 1856 in Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
. Many people credited Kirkwood’s speech and subsequent work with the success of the party in Iowa. Pro-Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
sentiment during and after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
helped the party to expand in importance. Between 1858 and 1932 the Republicans won every Iowa gubernatorial election, with the exception of 1890, when Horace Boies
Horace Boies
Horace Boies served as the 14th Governor of Iowa from 1890 to 1894 as a member of the United States Democratic Party. Boies was the only Democrat to serve in that position from 1855-1933.- Life before Iowa :...
, a former Republican, was elected because of his opposition to Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. In 1932 electoral frustration with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and Prohibition led to the re-emergence of the Democratic Party in Iowa. Historically the party has held the Governor's office – 30 of Iowa's 41 governors have been Republicans.
Iowa Caucuses
The Iowa Caucuses are the kickoff for the national presidential selection process. Iowa holds a powerful position in that process because it can serve as a sounding board for the strength of a candidate's campaign. A win in the Iowa Caucuses can validate a candidate or propel them from relative obscurity. In particular the Iowa Republican Caucuses holds the most power when the GOP is either not the party in the Presidency or when an incumbent is not on the ballot. As Iowa is the first state to cast its votes on the nominee the media often focuses heavily on opinion polls from the state to determine which way GOP voters are leaning.In 2008 former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
grew in name recognition because of his Iowa victory and grew his national profile. In 2000 with a potentialy heated nomination fight between then Texas Governor George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Arizona Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
; Bush who carried the state with 41% of the vote set the tone for his campaign set up a successful run for the Republican Nomination and the Presidency.