Terry Branstad

Terry Edward Branstad ( born November 17, 1946 in Leland, Winnebago County, Iowa) is an American politician ( Republican). He was from 1983 to 1999 the 39th Governor of the State of Iowa; since 14 January 2011, he occupied the same position again.

Early years and political rise

Terry Branstad visited until 1969 the University of Iowa. Then he studied until 1974 at the Drake University law. He spent the following two years as a soldier in the U.S. Army, but he witnessed the end of the Vietnam War.

After his military service was Branstad deputy in the House of Representatives from Iowa. In 1978 he was elected as a Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa. He was between 1979 and 1983 the Deputy Governor Robert D. Ray, as his successor, he was elected in 1982.

First term as governor

Branstad took up his new post on 14 January 1983. At this time he was 35, the youngest governor in the history of Iowa. In the following years, Branstad was confirmed three more times. Thus he could officiate as governor until January 15, 1999, a total of 16 years. That is until now the longest serving governor in the state. During this time, economic development and education policy were the main concerns of the governor. At that time, all school districts were connected by means of a broadband network with each other. Also, the government structure was reformed. In 1995, Iowa was considered one of the best managed states. Branstad was a member of many associations governor and other key bodies. Between 1989 and 1990, he served as chairman of the National Governors Association. He was also Chairman of the Joint Education Commission of all U.S. states.

Further CV

After the end of his governorship, he founded the company Branstad and Associates LLC He was also a partner in a law firm and was a financial adviser to the company Robert W. Baird and Co., Inc. The ex- governor was also a visiting professor at the University of Iowa and was founded in 2003 as Head of Education Presidential Commission appointed ( President's Commission for Excellence in Special Education ). Since 2003 he is head of the Des Moines University. Today, he is also a member of various supervisory boards. With his wife Chris Branstad, he has three children.

Reelection as governor

In October 2009, Branstad announced that he would apply again in the elections of November 2010 the Office of the Governor of Iowa. Before he could take on the Democratic incumbent Chet Culver, he had to in the first primary of his party against his conservative rival Bob Vander Plaats prevail; this was supported among others by actor Chuck Norris. With 50.4 percent of the vote, he sat down by the end, where he had to make do without the intercession of the Tea Party movement. Their local branch in Des Moines had found Branstad is "not a true conservative "; so he had expanded the state apparatus during each of his first term.

The result of the election was then the national trend this year, which turned out specifically against Democratic incumbent. Branstad was achieved with 53 percent of the vote, a clear victory over Culver, which reached only 43.3 percent. Thus, the Republican challenger was able to return to the governorship after twelve years on January 14, 2011. His Deputy Governor Kim Reynolds.