Urbandale, Iowa — A Sheldon native who is now a leading Iowa conservative says conservatives across the country are tired of Republican election losses — and this week’s special election in Georgia is another blow to former President Trump, who backed the losing Republican candidate, Hershel Walker.
Bob Vander Plaats is president of The Family Leader, a politically active group of Christian conservatives.
The Family Leader will host an event this summer for 2024 presidential candidates and Trump, who announced in November that he was running again, might be in the mix. Vander Plaats says Republicans should not choose a nominee whose entire focus is payback for what happened in 2020.
Vander Plaats is encouraging Trump to endorse one of the other Republicans running to be America’s next president.
Vander Plaats says he really thought a red tsunami would happen in the midterms, but Democrats won two governorships that had been held by Republicans and GOP results for U.S. Senate and House races fell below what typically happens when a Democrat is in the White House.
Vander Plaats has personally endorsed presidential candidates prior to the Iowa Caucuses. He backed Mike Huckabee in 2008, Rick Santorum in 2012, and Ted Cruz in 2016 — all of whom won on Caucus Night.
