Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad wants Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to lose the caucus in his home state. Branstad has avoided endorsing any candidate in the GOP presidential primary, but he made clear he wants Hawkeye State voters to dismiss Cruz from consideration.
“Ted Cruz is ahead right now. What we’re trying to do is educate the people in the state of Iowa,” Branstad told reporters at the Renewable Fuel Summit in Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register. “He’s heavily financed by Big Oil. So we think once Iowans realize that fact, they might find other things attractive but he could be very damaging to our state.”
Branstad went on to explain he wanted to see Cruz lose and implored Iowans not to make the “big mistake” of supporting him. The Cruz campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment, but it has persistently brushed back attacks on his record as it relates to ethanol.
When America’s Renewable Future, a political group that supports ethanol mandates, began running attack ads on the radio in Iowa, the Cruz campaign’s general counsel sent a letter to radio stations reminding them of their legal responsibility to avoid misrepresentations and libel.
“Terry Branstad finally does conservatives a favor by telling us all who the establishment really hates —Ted Cruz,” tweeted Iowa conservative radio host Steve Deace, a Cruz supporter.
Donald Trump also highlighted the Branstad’s comments on Twitter. “Wow, the highly respected Governor of Iowa just stated that ‘Ted Cruz must be defeated,” Trump wrote. “Big shoker! [sic] People do not like Ted.”
Cruz replied to Trump’s tweet and said that Trump, “continues to seek Establishment support. Cartel wants more deals & cronyism; fears conservatives.”
Terry Branstad finally does conservatives a favor by telling us all who the establishment really hates — Ted Cruz. It’s good news Tuesday!
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) January 19, 2016
While Branstad has not publicly picked any one candidate, several of his aides have joined the campaign of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Christie’s Iowa operation boasts a former Branstad campaign manager and chief of staff, and a former top policy adviser to the governor. With under two weeks to go until the first-in-the-nation caucus, Branstad is inserting himself into the 2016 race like never before.
