Candidates’ family members join the stage at Feenstra fundraiser in Sioux Center
SIOUX CENTER — When presidential candidates sat down with U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra and his wife Lynette Feenstra at Dordt University in Sioux Center, all brought special guests – their children and spouses – to discuss their commitment to family values and religion as Republican presidential hopefuls.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Texas pastor and businessman Ryan Binkley spoke about their time on the campaign trail and policy positions at the “Faith and Family with the Feenstras” fundraiser. All four were joined by family members – DeSantis’ wife, Casey DeSantis, Binkley’s wife, Ellie Binkley, Haley’s daughter Rena Haley and Ramaswamy’s 3-year-old son Karthik Ramaswamy all took the stage alongside their politician family members.
The event was not just a chance to campaign in Iowa’s deep red 4th Congressional District, but a chance to court Feenstra for a potential endorsement. The U.S. representative told the Des Moines Register in July that he intended to endorse a presidential candidate ahead of the Iowa caucuses at a time when other influential Iowa Republicans said they planned to remain neutral.
In the months since, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed DeSantis, as have several high-profile GOP state lawmakers and Family Leader President and CEO Bob Vander Plaats. But no members of Iowa’s all-Republican U.S. congressional delegation have yet weighed in.
Feenstra thanked the candidates and their loved ones for speaking at the event, urging Iowans to participate in the 2024 Republican caucuses.
“We listened to the possibilities of what we have for leaders for our country — that’s step one,” Feenstra said. “Step number two is, we have to deliver on each one of us, we have to — Jan. 15 — go to caucus and decide. It’s our civic duty, and what we are called to do.”
Candidates campaigning alongside their family are not uncommon in Iowa. Casey DeSantis and their family’s three young children often join the Florida governor on the campaign trail in Iowa; Ramaswamy’s wife Apoorva Ramaswamy and their sons have also appeared with him at Iowa events.
When a reporter asked DeSantis if Casey was his “secret weapon,” he said his campaign is not keeping her a secret – “people know she’s very effective,” he said.
“I like being with her on the campaign trail,” DeSantis said. “But from a campaign strategy perspective, it’s better for her to be doing her own events because she draws crowds, she flips voters. … I mean, these are folks that are kind of, nominal Trump people – when she tells him about me, she does it. So she’s a great vote-getter.”
Continue reading here: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/12/09/candidates-family-members-join-the-stage-at-feenstra-fundraiser-in-sioux-center/