Cruz Campaign Press Release - Cruz Campaign Adds Dozens 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