Terry E. Branstad
| Terry Branstad | |
|---|---|
 |
|
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United States Ambassador to China Nominee |
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|
Taking office TBD* |
|
| President | Donald Trump |
| Succeeding | David Rank (Acting) |
| 39th and 42nd Governor of Iowa | |
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Assumed office January 14, 2011 |
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| Lieutenant | Kim Reynolds |
| Preceded by | Chet Culver |
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In office January 14, 1983 – January 15, 1999 |
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| Lieutenant |
Robert Anderson Jo Ann Zimmerman Joy Corning |
| Preceded by | Robert Ray |
| Succeeded by | Tom Vilsack |
| 41st Lieutenant Governor of Iowa | |
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In office January 12, 1979 – January 14, 1983 |
|
| Governor | Robert Ray |
| Preceded by | Arthur Neu |
| Succeeded by | Robert Anderson |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 8th district |
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In office January 8, 1973 – January 7, 1979 |
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| Preceded by | Del Stromer |
| Succeeded by | Clifford Branstad |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Terry Edward Branstad November 17, 1946 Leland, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Christine Johnson |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Terrace Hill |
| Education |
University of Iowa (BA) Drake University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1969–1971 |
| Unit | 503rd Military Police Battalion |
| Awards | Army Commendation Medal |
| *Pending Senate confirmation | |
Terry Edward Branstad (born November 17, 1946) is an American politician who is the 42nd Governor of Iowa, in office since January 2011. Branstad was also the state's 39th governor from 1983 to 1999, and he was president of Des Moines University from 2003 to 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. Branstad is the longest-serving governor in American history. In his 2010 political comeback, Branstad won a three-way primary election for the Republican nomination to run for governor in the general election. He faced incumbent Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat and four third party candidates on November 2, 2010, defeating Culver by 52.9% to 43.1%.
Branstad entered the 2010 race as the front runner for both the primary and general elections. Independent polling in 2009 indicated that his favorability ratings hovered in the 70% range. He was widely seen as the front runner for the Republican nomination, and had wide leads in aggregate polling against the sitting governor, Chet Culver. He won the Republican primary with 50.4% of the popular vote, 9.5 percentage points ahead of his nearest competitor.
In the election on November 4, 2014, Branstad was elected to an unprecedented sixth four-year term as Iowa governor. On December 14, 2015, he became the longest-serving governor in US history (breaking the record held by George Clinton of New York, who served 21 years).
On December 8, 2016, Branstad accepted President Donald Trump's nomination of him for the post of United States Ambassador to China (PRC).
Branstad was born in Leland, Iowa, the son of Rita L. (Garland) and Edward Arnold Branstad, a farmer. His mother was Jewish, while his father was from a Norwegian American Lutheran family; Branstad himself was raised Lutheran, and later converted to Catholicism. Through his mother, Branstad is a second cousin of Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. Branstad received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his law degree from Drake University Law School. After getting his undergraduate degree, he was drafted and served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971, serving as a military policeman in the 503rd Military Police Battalion at Fort Bragg, and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service; he once recalled that he arrested actress Jane Fonda for coming onto post at Arlington National Cemetery, where she was planning to attend an anti-war protest.
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