Christian conservative leader Bob Vander Plaats is endorsing Adam Steen in Iowa’s Republican primary race for governor, saying Steen is someone who can excite the party’s base and carry on the standard set by outgoing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
“(Steen) shares our worldview,” Vander Plaats told the Des Moines Register in an exclusive interview. “He has a very solid foundation. And I think it’s why you’re seeing the base — whether it be the Family Leader base, or it’d be the GOP base, or it’d be the MAGA base — they’re rallying to him, because they see him as somebody who’s principled, who leads on his convictions.”
Vander Plaats said the endorsement was personal and not made on behalf of The Family Leader, which he heads as president and CEO.
In a statement provided to the Register, Steen said Vander Plaats has been “a bold champion for faith and conservative values in Iowa for decades.”
“I’m honored to have his endorsement,” he said. “And together we’re going to activate conservatives across this state to win this race and defend the God-given freedoms that make Iowa strong.”
Steen has already been endorsed by conservative media personality Steve Deace, who has appeared on the campaign trail with him.
Steen, a 45-year-old Runnells resident and credentialed minister, is the former director of the state’s Department of Administrative Services.
“I am the faith guy,” he said while introducing himself at a campaign launch event in August. “I’m a Jesus guy. I’m a ‘Make America Great Again’ guy. I’m a commonsense policy, ‘America First,’ people-first guy. I’m the guy that’s excited to work alongside President Trump to build our country and usher in a golden age of prosperity. I’m a guy that’s honored to have worked with the amazing Gov. Kim Reynolds.”
Endorsement comes as GOP activists signal discontent with Randy Feenstra
The endorsement is noteworthy as GOP activists continue to signal skepticism of expected Republican gubernatorial frontrunner, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.
Feenstra is a sitting congressman with a large war chest, high name recognition among potential voters and a network of high-profile supporters. But so far, he has been unable to clear the primary field.
Vander Plaats endorsed Feenstra in his 2019 4th District congressional primary over then-incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King, and he described him as “a good friend.”
But he said he was disappointed Feenstra has not engaged more deeply in the primary race, including declining to participate in a January debate hosted by Moms for Liberty in Des Moines.
He said Iowans have come to expect a certain level of availability from their candidates after watching Republicans such as Reynolds, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and former Gov. Terry Branstad — each of whom is known for campaigning aggressively across the state.
“They attend everything. They don’t take stuff for granted,” Vander Plaats said. “And In order to win in November and to defeat Rob Sand, you’re going to need to have everybody with you. And I just see this as an unenthusiastic base for Randy Feenstra.”
Sand is the state auditor and the frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nomination. He has raised about $18 million this cycle, and he completed his first 99-county tour of the state as a gubernatorial candidate late last year.
Vander Plaats, who has repeatedly warned that Sand poses a real threat to Republicans this cycle, said he thinks Steen is better suited to take him on in November.
He said he isn’t concerned that appealing to the party’s base during the primary could create problems for a Republican candidate in the general election.
“I think these are base elections, and I believe you need to have your base motivated if you’re going to win that election,” he said. “So it’s one of those where you cannot win the governorship without your base.”
Feenstra’s campaign has pushed back on the suggestion he could be having trouble energizing supporters.
“We have the resources to win. We have the message to win. And our polling also confirms Congressman Feenstra is the commanding frontrunner in this primary election,” Feenstra’s spokesperson Billy Fuerst previously told the Register. “And again, he will be nominated in June to be the Republican nominee for governor of Iowa, and he will defeat extreme liberal Rob Sand with his common-sense conservative message.”
Donald Trump stays out of Iowa’s governor’s race
Feenstra’s campaign has rolled out a list of Republican endorsements that include U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer, state Treasurer Roby Smith and a suite of current and former legislators.
Reynolds previously said she would not endorse in the primary race but would enthusiastically support the nominee.
Republican President Donald Trump has also so far declined to wade into the race, even after spending time with Feenstra aboard Air Force One during his recent trip to Clive.
Feenstra said he has asked for Trump’s support and will be working to earn his endorsement.
Vander Plaats said he believes Trump’s apparent hesitancy to get into the race is driven by a deference to his MAGA base in Iowa.
“It’s probably nothing against Randy per se,” he said. “It’s just that the base sees something in an Adam Steen that motivates them, attracts them. And I think they’re willing to go to work for him. And that’s going to be key in this fall’s election.”
Even without Trump’s endorsement, Feenstra remains a competitive force in the race. He announced raising more money in 2024 than the rest of the Republican primary field combined, tallying $4.3 million in receipts to give him about $3.2 million in cash on hand.
That significantly outpaces Steen, who raised about $500,000 and has about $336,000 in cash on hand.
Vander Plaats said he’s confident Steen will have the money he needs to effectively compete.
But Vander Plaats has been wrong about candidates before, including in governors’ races. He ran and lost against Branstad in 2010, and he aggressively opposed Branstad’s selection of Reynolds as his running mate.
Today, Vander Plaats calls them both “icons.”
He said he thinks Feenstra could be a strong leader if elected, and he said he would support him if he wins the Republican nomination.
“My concern is not so much with Governor Feenstra, OK?” he said. “I’m more concerned about Candidate Feenstra. And in order to govern, you need to win. I know that firsthand.”
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Vander Plaats endorses Steen in Iowa’s 2026 GOP governor primary
Reporting by Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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