Bob Vander Plaats
Encyclopedia
Robert L. "Bob" Vander Plaats (born April 12, 1963) is a three-time candidate for Iowa’s governorship and former Republican
nominee for lieutenant governor. He is a former high school principal, non-profit CEO, and currently the president and CEO of MVP Leadership in Sioux City, Iowa
.
with a basketball scholarship, graduating and becoming a teacher and coach in Boone and Jefferson. He was Principal at Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn High School and at the high school in Sheldon. Later he earned Master's and Specialist's Degrees in the area of Educational Leadership from Drake University
.
Vander Plaats was a primary candidate for the 2006 Iowa
Republican
gubernatorial nomination, competing against Iowa Congressman Jim Nussle
. As the race progressed, he withdrew his candidacy for Governor in favor of being Nussle's running mate in the general election
. Calls by GOP party higher-ups for Vander Plaats to get out of the race were reportedly due to Vander Plaats reporting only $459,000 cash on hand compared to Nussle's $2,500,000. The Republican ticket of Nussle/Vander Plaats lost the election to the Democratic
ticket of Culver
/Judge
.
Vander Plaats served as the Iowa state chair of Republican Presidential candidate and former Arkansas
Governor Mike Huckabee
's 2008 failed presidential campaign. On many occasions, Huckabee called Vander Plaats the "next Governor of Iowa," suggesting that Vander Plaats would run for Governor again in 2010.
as chair and former state Auditor Dick Johnson
as co-chair of the committee. He formally announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination on Labor Day of 2009.
In the Iowa gubernatorial election of 2010
, incumbent Governor Chet Culver
, a Democratic
politician
, ran for re-election. The Republican candidates were Vander Plaats, state politician Rod Roberts
, and former governor Terry Branstad.
By the end of March, 2010, however, Vander Plaats lead in the same poll had fallen to 42% to 40%.
, and marketing Iowa “as a Right to Work
state." He supported having representatives from “public school, home school and private school on the Iowa Board of Education.” He also pledged to sign an executive order designed to stop county clerks from handing out marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This last issue drew some controversy, as both of his primary opponents maintained that the governor did not have that authority, as did most legal scholars.
of three members of the Iowa Supreme Court
who had voted to overturn Iowa's Defense of Marriage Act in Varnum v. Brien
.
In mid-2011, The Family Leader gained national recognition for its pledge, "The Marriage Vow: A Declaration of Dependence upon MARRIAGE and FAMILY", which it asked 2012 presidential hopefuls to sign. Vander Plaats himself also gained recognition, being referred to in one news post as a "kingmaker."
The Hill named Vander Plaats' endorsement as one of the top 10 coveted endorsements for Republicans running for president..
Though the pledge was signed very quickly by candidate Michele Bachmann
, others were not so quick to sign or support it. Former Iowa State Senator Jeff Angelo, a Republican, said: "This pledge is an attempt to shut down dialogue between voters and the people vying to represent them.". Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney
called the pledge "undignified and inappropriate."
Romney's campaign later clarified that he would not sign because language in the pledge made the assertion that African American children born into slavery in 1860 were better off than children raised today. He was not the only one to take issue with this language. The "slavery portion" of the pledge was soon removed.
Some also opposed the pledge because of its language against marriage for gay couples. The media also took note of the pledge's strong anti-pornography stance and the fact that it asserts that being gay is a choice.
After the controversies with the pledge, Vander Plaats' colleague, House Speaker Pro-Tem Jeff Kaufmann, said the pledge has "ridiculous implications," questioned Vander Plaats' integrity, and said that his "political credibility is waning to the point of no impact."
Republican Party of Iowa
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...
nominee for lieutenant governor. He is a former high school principal, non-profit CEO, and currently the president and CEO of MVP Leadership in Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
.
Education and early career
Vander Plaats attended Northwestern College (Iowa)Northwestern College (Iowa)
Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Orange City, Iowa. It is also known as Northwestern IA. It is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America . Northwestern began as an academy in 1882. It was then upgraded to junior college status in 1928...
with a basketball scholarship, graduating and becoming a teacher and coach in Boone and Jefferson. He was Principal at Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn High School and at the high school in Sheldon. Later he earned Master's and Specialist's Degrees in the area of Educational Leadership from Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
.
Political activities, 2002 to 2008
In 2002, Vander Plaats unsuccessfully ran for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, losing to Doug Gross.Vander Plaats was a primary candidate for the 2006 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...
Republican
Republican Party of Iowa
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...
gubernatorial nomination, competing against Iowa Congressman Jim Nussle
Jim Nussle
James Allen "Jim" Nussle is an American politician and was the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Nussle was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2007...
. As the race progressed, he withdrew his candidacy for Governor in favor of being Nussle's running mate in the general election
Iowa gubernatorial election, 2006
The Iowa gubernatorial election of 2006 took place November 7, 2006. The incumbent governor, Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, had served two terms and decided not to seek a third term. In the election, Culver defeated Nussle to win the governorship, by a margin of 54.4 percent to 44.1 percent...
. Calls by GOP party higher-ups for Vander Plaats to get out of the race were reportedly due to Vander Plaats reporting only $459,000 cash on hand compared to Nussle's $2,500,000. The Republican ticket of Nussle/Vander Plaats lost the election to the Democratic
Iowa Democratic Party
The Iowa Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Iowa.-Current elected officials:Iowa Democrats are in control of the Iowa Senate, one of the state's United States Senate seats, and three out of the state's five United States House of Representatives seats. ...
ticket of Culver
Chet Culver
Chester John "Chet" Culver was the 41st Governor of Iowa, from 2007 to 2011. He was also elected as the Federal Liaison for the Democratic Governors Association for 2008-2009. He founded the Chet Culver Group, an energy sector consulting firm, in 2011.-Early life and education:Culver was born in...
/Judge
Patty Judge
Patty Jean Judge was the 46th Lieutenant Governor and previously, the Secretary of Agriculture for the U.S. State of Iowa. She was elected to the office in 2006 with Chet Culver as Governor, and unsuccessfully ran for re-election in 2010.-Early life, education and career:Secretary Judge graduated...
.
Vander Plaats served as the Iowa state chair of Republican Presidential candidate and former Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
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...
's 2008 failed presidential campaign. On many occasions, Huckabee called Vander Plaats the "next Governor of Iowa," suggesting that Vander Plaats would run for Governor again in 2010.
Iowa Governor's race, 2010
On January 26, 2009, Vander Plaats announced the formation of a 2010 gubernatorial campaign committee with state Representative Jodi TymesonJodi Tymeson
Jodi Tymeson is a former Iowa State Representative from the 77th and 73rd Districts. She served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2001, representing the 77th District until it was redrawn in 2003 and representing the 73rd District until 2011...
as chair and former state Auditor Dick Johnson
Dick Johnson
Dick Johnson may refer to:*Dick Johnson , retired American NASCAR Cup Series driver*Dick Johnson , Australian race car driver*Dick Johnson , American television news anchor and reporter...
as co-chair of the committee. He formally announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination on Labor Day of 2009.
In the Iowa gubernatorial election of 2010
Iowa gubernatorial election, 2010
The Iowa gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, who will serve a four-year term to begin on January 14, 2011...
, incumbent Governor Chet Culver
Chet Culver
Chester John "Chet" Culver was the 41st Governor of Iowa, from 2007 to 2011. He was also elected as the Federal Liaison for the Democratic Governors Association for 2008-2009. He founded the Chet Culver Group, an energy sector consulting firm, in 2011.-Early life and education:Culver was born in...
, a Democratic
Iowa Democratic Party
The Iowa Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Iowa.-Current elected officials:Iowa Democrats are in control of the Iowa Senate, one of the state's United States Senate seats, and three out of the state's five United States House of Representatives seats. ...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, ran for re-election. The Republican candidates were Vander Plaats, state politician Rod Roberts
Rod Roberts
Rod Roberts is the director of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. Roberts is also a former Republican gubernatorial candidate and five-term Iowa State Representative from the 51st and 80th Districts. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011 and was an...
, and former governor Terry Branstad.
By the end of March, 2010, however, Vander Plaats lead in the same poll had fallen to 42% to 40%.
Issues
Vander Plaats ran on his conservative credentials in the primary. One of his main focuses – promoting business expansion in Iowa – included reducing "property taxes to fuel business expansion and job opportunities," making Iowa a “leading alternative energy producer and innovator,” applying a “loser-pay system” of tort reformTort reform
Tort reform refers to proposed changes in common law civil justice systems that would reduce tort litigation or damages. Tort actions are civil common law claims first created in the English commonwealth system as a non-legislative means for compensating wrongs and harm done by one party to...
, and marketing Iowa “as a Right to Work
Right-to-work law
Right-to-work laws are statutes enforced in twenty-two U.S. states, mostly in the southern or western U.S., allowed under provisions of the federal Taft–Hartley Act, which prohibit agreements between labor unions and employers that make membership, payment of union dues, or fees a condition of...
state." He supported having representatives from “public school, home school and private school on the Iowa Board of Education.” He also pledged to sign an executive order designed to stop county clerks from handing out marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This last issue drew some controversy, as both of his primary opponents maintained that the governor did not have that authority, as did most legal scholars.
Results
In the Republican primary on June 8, 2010, Vander Plaats lost to Branstad, receiving 40 percent of the vote compared to 50 percent for Branstad. Roberts was third with 9 percent of the vote.Other
In February, 2007 Vander Plaats released his first book, Light from Lucas. This story of his third son was published by Tyndale House Publishers. In 2010, Vander Plaats successfully lead the campaign against the retentionRetention election
A judicial retention election is a periodic process whereby a judge is subject to a referendum held at the same time as a general election...
of three members of the Iowa Supreme Court
Iowa Supreme Court
The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. As constitutional head of the Iowa Judicial Branch, the Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices....
who had voted to overturn Iowa's Defense of Marriage Act in Varnum v. Brien
Varnum v. Brien
Varnum v. Brien, 763 N.W.2d 862 , is an Iowa court case in which six same-sex couples filed suit against Timothy Brien, Polk County Recorder, for refusing to grant marriage licenses to them...
.
2012 Presidential election
In November 2010, Vander Platts became president and chief executive officer of an umbrella group called "The Family Leader", a group that included the Iowa Family Policy Center, Marriage Matters, and their political action committee. Through the new group, the socially conservative organizations planned to play a more influential role in the Iowa caucus campaigns than in 2007 and 2008, including offering an endorsement for the first time.In mid-2011, The Family Leader gained national recognition for its pledge, "The Marriage Vow: A Declaration of Dependence upon MARRIAGE and FAMILY", which it asked 2012 presidential hopefuls to sign. Vander Plaats himself also gained recognition, being referred to in one news post as a "kingmaker."
The Hill named Vander Plaats' endorsement as one of the top 10 coveted endorsements for Republicans running for president..
Though the pledge was signed very quickly by candidate Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
, others were not so quick to sign or support it. Former Iowa State Senator Jeff Angelo, a Republican, said: "This pledge is an attempt to shut down dialogue between voters and the people vying to represent them.". Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
called the pledge "undignified and inappropriate."
Romney's campaign later clarified that he would not sign because language in the pledge made the assertion that African American children born into slavery in 1860 were better off than children raised today. He was not the only one to take issue with this language. The "slavery portion" of the pledge was soon removed.
Some also opposed the pledge because of its language against marriage for gay couples. The media also took note of the pledge's strong anti-pornography stance and the fact that it asserts that being gay is a choice.
After the controversies with the pledge, Vander Plaats' colleague, House Speaker Pro-Tem Jeff Kaufmann, said the pledge has "ridiculous implications," questioned Vander Plaats' integrity, and said that his "political credibility is waning to the point of no impact."