Photo credit: Dave Davidson (Prezography.com)
Today, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign announced dozens of additions to Cruz’s Iowa leadership team and county chairs coalition – comprised of Iowa activists and influencers who are taking an active role in the campaign. The release also includes the first round of pastors joining the “99 Iowa Pastors” initiative to support Ted Cruz for President.
“The strength of our Iowa team is not just represented by growing numbers, but also by the broad base they represent and reach as they come together,” Cruz said. “As we build our team in Iowa and across the country, we are very well represented in nearly every bracket of Republican caucus goers, specifically evangelicals, libertarians, and Tea Party conservatives. We don’t just intend to play in Iowa, we intend to win.”
Today’s release also includes the first list of Iowa pastors who have joined the “99 Iowa Pastors” initiative that Cruz announced at the recent Rally for Religious Liberty in Des Moines.
“This effort grew organically out of our work to recruit county chairs,” Cruz stated. “Some of the first pastors to join the team have spearheaded an effort to recruit their peers, and I am thrilled to have them both supporting our campaign and lifting us up in prayer.”
New additions to the Leadership Team include nationally syndicated talk radio host Steve Deace (Polk County) and former Hampton Mayor Shawn Dietz (Franklin County).
The list of county chairs for Cruz continues to grow as the following names were added to the list released last week:
- Revelyn Lonning, Allamakee County Co-Chair
- Robin Oden, Allamakee County Co-Chair
- Keith Schroeder, Allamakee County Co-Chair
- Mary Burkheimer, Clarke County Chair
- Sharon Elling, Franklin County Co-Chair
- Gary McVicker, Franklin County Co-Chair
- Steven Lonsdale, Guthrie County Co-Chair
- Reginald McMenis Jr., Louisa County Co-Chair
- Nancy Anderson, Polk County Co-Chair
- Betty Davids, Winnebago County Chair
- Mark Anderson, Woodbury County Co-Chair
- Darla Jean Williams, Woodbury County Co-Chair
- Christina Lang, Woodbury County Co-Chair
The campaign also released the first round of pastors who joined the “99 Iowa Pastors” initiative:
- Pastor Rob and Jamie Ely, Black Hawk County
- Pastor Tim Ried, Buena Vista County
- Pastor Michael Davis, Butler County
- Pastor Benjamin Scholl, Chickasaw County
- Pastor Bradley Wallace, Clay County
- Pastor Tom Allen, Dallas County
- Pastor Spencer Keroff, Dallas County
- Pastor Chris Tjapkes, Dallas County
- Pastor Bradley Cranston, Des Moines County
- Pastor Edward Mast, Dubuque County
- Pastor Steven Britton, Emmet County
- Pastor Gregory Baum, Hancock County
- Pastor John Desaulniers Jr., Jasper County
- Pastor Rose Kessler, Keokuk County
- Pastor Eric Cleveland, Linn County
- Pastor William Graham, Linn County
- Pastor Kenneth Koske, Linn County
- Pastor Darran Whiting, Linn County
- Pastor Michael McAfee, Louisa County
- Pastor Don Thurman, Mahaska County
- Pastor Wayne Almlie, Polk County
- Pastor Bob Deever, Polk County
- Pastor Doug Deford, Polk County
- Pastor Mike Demastus, Polk County
- Pastor Jeff Hill, Polk County
- Pastor Judy Hundley, Polk County
- Pastor Dan McCoy, Polk County
- Pastor Tim Newman, Polk County
- Rev. Shane Wilson, Polk County
- Pastor Travis Decker, Wapello County
- Pastor Jonathan Ribble, Warren County
- Pastor Joseph Brown, Washington County
With the addition of those included in this latest release, the Iowa Leadership Team for Cruz now includes the following 155 individuals:
- Ed Carr, Adams County Chair
- Revelyn Lonning, Allamakee County Co-Chair
- Robin Oden, Allamakee County Co-Chair
- Keith Schroeder, Allamakee County Co-Chair
- State Representative Larry Sheets, Appanoose County, State Leadership Team
- Mark Waits, Appanoose County Chair
- Janice Kendall, Benton County Chair
- Jenni Stevenson, Black Hawk County Co-Chair
- Luke Offner, Black Hawk County Co-Chair
- Tim Tierney, Black Hawk County Co-Chair
- Carol Hanson, Black Hawk County Co-Chair
- Pastor Rob and Jamie Ely, Black Hawk County
- Aaron Cronk, Boone County Chair
- Mary-Anna Denton, Bremer County Chair
- Beth Augustine, Buchanan County Chair
- Kay Quirk, Buena Vista County Chair
- Pastor Tim Ried, Buena Vista County
- Jeanette Davis, Butler County Chair
- Pastor Michael Davis, Butler County
- Christy Ramthum, Calhoun County Chair
- Allen Kroeger, Cedar County Chair
- Bill Salier, Cerro Gordo County, State Leadership Team
- Dan Ohlendorf, Cherokee County Chair
- Benjamin Scholl, Chickasaw County Chair
- Pastor Benjamin Scholl, Chickasaw County
- Mary Burkheimer, Clarke County Chair
- Pastor Bradley Wallace, Clay County
- Scott Ernst -Clinton County Chair
- State Representative Steve Holt, Crawford County, State Leadership Team
- State Senator Jason Schultz, Crawford County, State Leadership Team
- Harrison Hoffmeier, Crawford County Chair
- State Senator Jake Chapman, Dallas County, State Leadership Team
- State Representative Ralph Watts, Dallas County, State Leadership Team
- Joel and Kelsey Kurtinitis, Dallas County, State Leadership Team
- Vicki Crawford, Dallas County, State Leadership Team
- Kevin Branstetter, Dallas County Co-Chair
- Keith Trullinger, Dallas County Co-Chair
- Leslie Beck, Dallas County Co-Chair
- Pastor Tom Allen, Dallas County
- Pastor Spencer Keroff, Dallas County
- Pastor Chris Tjapkes, Dallas County
- Shellie Bockensfledt, Delaware County Chair
- Pastor Brad Cranston, Des Moines County, State Leadership Team
- Brad Cranston Jr., Des Moines County Co-Chair
- Mike Roundtree, Des Moines County Co-Chair
- Pastor Edward Mast, Dubuque County, State Leadership Team
- Pastor Steven Britton, Emmet County Chair
- LaRae Buhr, Fayette County Chair
- Shawn Dietz, Franklin County, State Leadership Team
- Sharon and Austin Elling, Franklin County Co-Chair
- Gary McVicker, Franklin County Co-Chair
- Benjamin and Annette Ciaccio, Fremont County Co-Chairs
- Karen Lonsdale, Guthrie County Co-Chair
- Steven Lonsdale, Guthrie County Co-Chair
- State Senator Dennis Guth, Hancock County, State Leadership Team
- John Wacker, Hancock County, State Leadership Team
- Pastor Gregory Baum, Hancock County
- Curt Groen, Hardin County Chair
- George Nelson, Harrison County Chair
- Philip Palmer, Henry County Co-Chair
- Jason Conner, Henry County Co-Chair
- Jessie Davis, Henry County Co-Chair
- Samuel Kramer, Howard County Chair
- Tom and Kristi German, Ida County Co-Chairs
- Pastor Joseph Brown, Iowa County Chair
- Pastor John Desaulniers Jr., Jasper County, State Leadership Team
- Paul Kurt, Jackson County Chair
- James Elliot, Jefferson County Chair
- Caleb Reynolds, Johnson County Chair
- Linda Stickle, Jones County, State Leadership Team
- Roseann Stivers, Jones County Chair
- Pastor Rose Kessler, Keokuk County
- Lyle Prunty, Kossuth County Chair
- Pastor Darran Whiting, Linn County, State Leadership Team
- Matt O’Neal, Linn County Co-Chair
- Stephen Hoffman, Linn County Co-Chair
- Amanda Broughton, Linn County Co-Chair
- Pastor Eric Cleveland, Linn County
- Pastor William Graham, Linn County
- Pastor Kenneth Koske, Linn County
- Reginald McMenis Jr., Louisa County Co-Chair
- Josh Mohror, Louisa County Co-Chair
- Pastor Michael McAfee, Louisa County
- Matt Schultz, Madison County, Iowa State Chairman
- Landon Keim, Madison County Co-Chair
- Sarah Keim, Madison County Co-Chair
- Sandra Plate, Mahaska County Chair
- Pastor Don Thurman, Mahaska County
- State Representative Greg Heartsill, Marion County, State Leadership Team
- Katie Eubanks, Marion County Chair
- Dick and Dorothy Schlitter, Monona County, State Leadership Team
- Karan Johnson, Montgomery County Co-Chair
- Rod Goodemote, Montgomery County Co-Chair
- Carl Kleppe Jr., Muscatine County Chair
- Zach Wilson, Osceola County Chair
- Robert Fonder, Pocahontas County Chair
- Dick and Betty Odgaard, Polk County, Religious Liberty Ambassadors
- Pastor Robert “Bob” Deever, Polk County, State Leadership Team
- Pastor Mike Demastus, Polk County, State Leadership Team
- Adam Steen, Polk County, State Leadership Team
- Steve and Amy Deace, Polk County, State Leadership Team
- Nancy Anderson – Polk County Co-Chair
- Vance Nordaker, Polk County Co-Chair
- Adam Horning, Polk County Co-Chair
- Joe Gleason, Polk County Co-Chair
- Don Jennings, Polk County Co-Chair
- Bianca Richards, Polk County Co-Chair
- Dominic Godinez, Polk County Co-Chair
- E. Cecil Stinemetz, Polk County Co-Chair
- Pastor Wayne Almlie, Polk County
- Pastor Doug Deford, Polk County
- Pastor Jeff Hill, Polk County
- Pastor Judy Hundley, Polk County
- Pastor Dan McCoy, Polk County
- Pastor Tim Newman, Polk County
- Rev. Shane Wilson, Polk County
- Gregory and Pam Malone, Polk County Co-Chairs
- Brenda Lyddon, Poweshiek County Chair
- Professor Gregory Tapis, Scott County, State Leadership Team
- Rose Jaeger, Scott County Chair
- Michele Jones, Shelby County Chair
- Councilman Mick Snieder, Sioux County, State Leadership Team
- Levi Vander Molen, Sioux County Co-Chair
- Skyler Wheeler, Sioux County Co-Chair
- Rob Driesen, Sioux County Co-Chair
- Chad Steenhoek, Story County, State Leadership Team
- Henry and Janie Lemke, Taylor County Co-Chairs
- Sherri Hamann, Van Buren County Chair
- Pastor Travis Decker, Wapello County Chair
- Mark Moberg, Warren County Co-Chair
- Steven McCoy, Warren County Co-Chair
- Pastor Jonathan Ribble, Warren
- Marlin and Becky Bontrager, Washington County, State Leadership Team
- David Harder, Washington County Co-Chair
- Tim Harder, Washington County Co-Chair
- Pastor Joseph Brown, Washington
- Kirk Kelley, Webster County Chair
- Betty Davids, Winnebago County Chair
- State Senator Bill and Angie Anderson, Woodbury County, State Leadership Team
- Jason Hamann, Woodbury County, State Leadership Team
- Mark Anderson, Woodbury County Co-Chair
- Darla Jean Williams, Woodbury County Co-Chair
- Christina Lang, Woodbury County Co-Chair