In The News
Vander Plaats Pleased Branstad Agrees to Three Debates, Encourages More
Mar 09, 2010
DES MOINES – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats issued the following statement in response to an announcement late today that former Gov. Terry Branstad has agreed to participate in three debates before the June 8 primary:
“I’m pleased Governor Branstad accepted our campaign’s Feb. 26 challenge to debate. The three debates that he has accepted are a good start, but I hope he will agree to others as the campaign progresses. I look forward to the April 7 debate in Sioux City to be sponsored by KTIV-TV, which will be broadcast by its sister stations, KWWL in Waterloo and KTTC in Rochester, Minn., as well as the Iowa Broadcast News Association debate on May 1 in Cedar Rapids and the traditional Des Moines Register/Iowa Public Television debate in Des Moines later in May.
“We proposed a minimum of four debates and I do look forward to additional forums in which Terry Branstad, Representative Rod Roberts and I will discuss the issues of importance to our state and our approaches to governing. When Representative Roberts accepted our proposal, he suggested adding a debate in Carroll and another in a similar-sized rural community in eastern Iowa. I agree wholeheartedly with those events and will encourage Terry Branstad to join us.
“As I said on Feb. 26, I welcome a format in which we discuss an economic strategy to improve Iowa’s business climate and create more jobs, effectively reform our tax and regulatory structures, streamline and instill a standard of excellence in our state government, create a world-class education system, and address other important issues including the separation of powers. I’m pleased that these outstanding news organizations have stepped forward to sponsor the first three debates and hope the Branstad campaign will accept future invitations, too.”
# # # #
