Branstad appoints 2010 Iowa Republican candidates
File Photo: Tyler Kingkade/Iowa State Daily
Gov. Terry Branstad signed the Iowa Defense of Marriage Act into law in 1998, during his final term. Branstad said he will not state his position on the retention vote of the three Iowa Supreme Court justices, but Lt. Gov. Joy Corning, who served in Branstad’s administration, has been outspokenly supportive of retaining the judges.
December 13, 2010
Gov.-elect Terry Branstad is making appointments for heads of various departments, including several failed 2010 Republican candidates.
He asked for resignation letters from all department heads by Dec. 15. That does not mean all would actually be resigning, but Branstad said he wants to review all positions.
One of the appointments included former Republican gubernatorial primary opponent, Rod Roberts, of Carroll, to become the head of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.
Brenna Findley, former chief of staff to western Iowa’s Rep. Steve King, was named legal counsel for Branstad. Findley was the Republican nominee for Attorney General and lost to incumbent Tom Miller. She ran on a platform including a desire to challenge the federal mandate to purchase health insurance included in the Affordable Care Act.
Branstad also named Dave Jamison, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and graduate of Iowa State, to the Iowa Finance Authority, which assists in lending for housing to people of little means. Jamison ran unsuccessfully against Democrat Mike Fitzgerald for state treasurer in 2010.
After unsuccessfully challenging Dave Loebsack twice to represent Iowa’s second congressional district, Mariannette Miller-Meeks will enter Branstad’s administration as head of the Iowa Department of Public Health.
Miller-Meeks is an eye doctor. During her campaign she suggested moving the qualifying age for Medicare to 67 and disagreed with the Affordable Care Act, because she believes it did not address the cost of health care sufficiently.
