Ted Cruz Campaign Adds to Iowa Leadership Team; Announces First Round of “99 Iowa Pastors” Initiative

Ted Cruz Campaign Adds to Iowa Leadership Team; Announces First Round of “99 Iowa Pastors” Initiative

HOUSTON, Texas – Today, the Cruz for President Campaign announced dozens of additions to Sen. 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,” said Sen. Cruz. “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 Sen. Cruz announced at the recent Rally for Religious Liberty in Des Moines.

“This effort grew organically out of our work to recruit county chairs,” Sen. Cruz said. “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