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'{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Bob Vander Plaats | birth_name = Robert Lee Vander Plaats | image = Mike Huckabee and Bob Vander Plaats November 2010 (cropped).jpg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|4|12}} | birth_place = [[Sheldon, Iowa]], U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | title = President and CEO, [[The Family Leader]] | term = 2010–present | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | occupation = Political activist | spouse = Darla | children = 4 | alma_mater = [[Northwestern College (Iowa)|Northwestern College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Drake University]] ([[Master of Education|M.Ed]]) }} '''Robert Lee Vander Plaats''' (born April 12, 1963) is an American politician and political activist who is kind of a douche. Since 2010, he has been the president and [[CEO]] of [[The Family Leader]], a [[social conservatism in the United States|social conservative]] organization in Iowa. Active in [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] politics, Vander Plaats ran unsuccessfully for [[Governor of Iowa]] in [[2002 Iowa gubernatorial election|2002]], [[2006 Iowa gubernatorial election|2006]], and [[Iowa gubernatorial election, 2010|2010]].<ref name=":0" /> He was the party's candidate for [[list of lieutenant governors of Iowa|lieutenant governor]] in [[2006 Iowa gubernatorial election|2006]], where he and gubernatorial nominee [[Jim Nussle]] lost the general election. == Early life and education == Vander Plaats was born in [[Sheldon, Iowa]]. He graduated from [[Western Christian High School (Hull, Iowa)|Western Christian High School]] in [[Hull, Iowa]]. He later attended [[Northwestern College (Iowa)|Northwestern College]] in [[Orange City, Iowa|Orange City]] on a basketball scholarship, earning a degree in education. He earned a master's degree in the area of Educational Leadership from [[Drake University]].<ref name="Le Mars Daily Sentinel">{{cite news|last1=Morris|first1=Sue|date=January 27, 2005|title=Locals back Vander Plaats' candidacy|publisher=Le Mars Daily Sentinel|url=http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1087495.html|accessdate=August 18, 2014}}</ref> == Career == === Education === After earning his undergraduate degree, Vander Plaats became a high school teacher and basketball coach. He was principal at Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn High School and later [[Sheldon High School (Sheldon, Iowa)|Sheldon High School]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tidemann|first1=Michael|title=Vander Plaats insists Vilsack will run again - and says he'll beat him|url=http://www.stormlakepilottribune.com/story/1513525.html|accessdate=August 18, 2014|publisher=Storm Lake Pilot Tribune|date=January 24, 2005}}</ref> Vander Plaats served as president of Opportunities Unlimited before moving on in the same role with MVP Leadership, Inc.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wolf|first1=Gordon|title=Gubernatorial candidate Vander Plaats wants to increase private investment in state's economy|url=http://www.dbrnews.com/news/gubernatorial-candidate-vander-plaats-wants-to-increase-private-investment-in/article_47dfbbe7-7377-5c77-9a47-75794860f640.html|accessdate=August 18, 2014|publisher=Denison Bulletin Review|date=October 21, 2005}}</ref> === Elections === In [[2002 Iowa gubernatorial election|2002]], Vander Plaats unsuccessfully ran for the Iowa GOP [[Governor of Iowa|gubernatorial]] nomination, losing to Doug Gross.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Eby|first1=Charlotte|title=Primaries 2002: Doug Gross emphasizes experience, knowledge|url=http://globegazette.com/news/local/primaries-doug-gross-emphasizes-experience-knowledge/article_59193c27-6749-57ef-b750-54445bc32626.html|accessdate=April 12, 2017|work=Globe Gazette|date=May 19, 2002}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news|last1=Mehta|first1=Seema|title=Conservative leader is a force in Iowa caucuses|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/19/nation/la-na-iowa-evangelical-leader-20111119|accessdate=April 12, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 19, 2011}}</ref> Vander Plaats was a candidate for the [[2006 Iowa gubernatorial election|2006]] [[Iowa]] [[Republican Party of Iowa|Republican]] gubernatorial nomination, competing against Iowa Congressman [[Jim Nussle]]. As the race progressed, he withdrew his candidacy for governor in favor of being Nussle's running mate in the [[Iowa gubernatorial election, 2006|general election]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hayworth|first1=Bret|title=Vander Plaats quits governor bid to join Nussle|url=http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/vander-plaats-quits-governor-bid-to-join-nussle/article_971c5147-e3b8-54e0-abfa-1b9efe0fe674.html|accessdate=April 12, 2017|work=Sioux City Journal|date=February 23, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Dorman|first1=Todd|title=Nussle, Vander Plaats join forces|url=http://qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/nussle-vander-plaats-join-forces/article_d3ed7ac8-cb66-5d40-a66a-084c18d60784.html|accessdate=April 12, 2017|work=Quad City Times|date=February 23, 2006}}</ref> Calls by GOP party higher-ups for Vander Plaats to get out of the race were reportedly due to Vander Plaats reporting only $459,000 cash on hand compared to Nussle's $2.5 million.<ref>[http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060220/NEWS/60220008/1001 "GOP sources: Vander Plaats to drop out, endorse Nussle"] ''Des Moines Register'', February 20, 2006 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927015116/http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060220%2FNEWS%2F60220008%2F1001 |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Nussle plans launch of election-year's first TV ad|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/131893479/|accessdate=April 12, 2017|work=Des Moines Register|date=April 22, 2006|archiveurl=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/131573876/|archivedate=April 22, 2006}}</ref> The Republican ticket of Nussle–Vander Plaats lost the election to the [[Iowa Democratic Party|Democratic]] ticket of [[Chet Culver|Culver]]/[[Patty Judge|Judge]]. On January 26, 2009, Vander Plaats announced the formation of a 2010 gubernatorial campaign committee<ref>{{cite news|title=Vander Plaats explores run for governor|url=http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/1496629.html|accessdate=April 12, 2017|work=Spencer Daily Reporter|agency=Associated Press|date=January 26, 2009}}</ref> with state Representative [[Jodi Tymeson]] as chair and former state Auditor Dick Johnson as co-chair of the committee.<ref>[http://www.teamvp2010.com/ Vander Plaats 2010 campaign site]</ref> In the [[Iowa gubernatorial election, 2010|Iowa gubernatorial election of 2010]], incumbent [[Iowa Democratic Party|Democratic]] Governor [[Chet Culver]] ran for re-election. The Republican candidates were Vander Plaats, state representative [[Rod Roberts]], and former governor [[Terry Branstad]].<ref>[http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/03/09/three-gop-candidates-for-governor-speak/ "Three GOP Candidates for Governor Speak"], Radio Iowa, March 9, 2010</ref> In the Republican primary on June 8, 2010, Vander Plaats lost to Branstad, receiving 40 percent of the vote compared to 50 percent for Branstad. Roberts was third with 9 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Boshart|first1=Rod|title=GOP picks Branstad to face Culver for Iowa governor's seat|url=http://qctimes.com/news/local/government-and-politics/elections/gop-picks-branstad-to-face-culver-for-iowa-governor-s/article_a349554e-7375-11df-9076-001cc4c002e0.amp.html|accessdate=April 12, 2017|work=Quad City Times|date=June 8, 2010}}</ref> === Political activism === Vander Plaats served as the Iowa state chair of Republican Presidential candidate and former [[Arkansas]] Governor [[Mike Huckabee]]'s 2008 failed [[Huckabee 2008|presidential campaign]].<ref>[http://www.teamvp2010.com/biography.htm Vander Plaats 2010 campaign biography]</ref> On many occasions, Huckabee called Vander Plaats the "next Governor of Iowa,"<ref>http://ktracy.com/?p=743{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> suggesting that Vander Plaats would run for governor again in 2010. In 2010, Vander Plaats successfully led the campaign against the [[retention election|retention]] of three members of the [[Iowa Supreme Court]] who had voted to overturn Iowa's Defense of Marriage Act in ''[[Varnum v. Brien]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Samuels|first1=Robert|title=He saw her marriage as 'unnatural.' She called him 'bigoted.' Now, they hug.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/he-saw-her-marriage-as-unnatural-she-called-him-bigoted-now-theyre-friends/2015/07/04/9e44e7c6-1a90-11e5-bd7f-4611a60dd8e5_story.html|accessdate=April 12, 2017|work=Washington Post|date=July 4, 2015}}</ref> In November 2010, Vander Platts became president and chief executive officer of an umbrella group called [[The Family Leader]], a group that includes the Iowa Family Policy Center, Marriage Matters, and a political action committee. Through the new group, the socially conservative organizations planned to play a more influential role in the 2012 Iowa caucus campaigns than in 2007 and 2008, including offering an endorsement for the first time.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/11/15/vander-plaats-to-lead-iowa-group-with-2012-endorsement-plans/ |work=Des Moines Register |date=November 15, 2010 |title=Vander Plaats to lead Iowa group with 2012 endorsement plans |author=Tom Beaumont |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120716192241/http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/11/15/vander-plaats-to-lead-iowa-group-with-2012-endorsement-plans/ |archivedate=July 16, 2012 }}</ref> In December 2011, Vander Plaats endorsed [[Rick Santorum]] for president.<ref>{{cite news|title=Vander Plaats Endorses Santorum|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/vander-plaats-endorses-santorum/|accessdate=December 20, 2012|newspaper=New York Times|date=December 20, 2011}}</ref> [[ABC News]] reported that Vander Plaats had solicited up to a million dollars from Santorum and other candidates in exchange for his endorsement, that he and Santorum had discussed the subject of money when negotiating the endorsement, and that he had tried to get [[Michele Bachmann]] of [[Minnesota]] to drop out of the race. The Family Leader denied the report.<ref>{{Cite news |publisher=ABC |date=December 23, 2011 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/iowa-conservative-leader-mired-in-controversy-after-rick-santorum-endorsement/ |title=Iowa Conservative Leader Mired in Controversy After Rick Santorum Endorsement |first=Shushannah |last=Walshe |first2=Michael |last2=Falcone}}</ref> Santorum won the [[2012 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses]]. In 2015, Vander Plaats endorsed [[Ted Cruz]] for President, saying Cruz was the "most consistent and principled conservative who has the ability to not only win Iowa but I believe to win the (Republican) nomination."<ref>{{Cite news|title=Why Bob Vander Plaats chose Cruz over Trump, Rubio, Carson|language=en|work=Des Moines Register|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/12/10/why-bob-vander-plaats-chose-ted-cruz-over-donald-trump-marco-rubio-ben-carson/77087998/|access-date=June 19, 2018}}</ref> Cruz won the [[2016 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses]]. In 2018, he published an opinion piece in ''The New York Times'' titled "Cruelty at the Border Is Not Justice" in which he characterized the [[Trump administration family separation policy]] as "unconscionable" and "inexcusable."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vander Plaats |first=Bob |date=June 18, 2018 |title=Opinion {{!}} Cruelty at the Border Is Not Justice |language=en |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/18/opinion/child-separation-border-trump.html |access-date=June 19, 2018}}</ref> ==Personal life== He and his wife, Darla, have four sons.<ref name="Sioux City Journal">{{cite news|last1=Hayworth|first1=Bret|title=Politically Speaking: Vander Plaats moves from Sioux City to Iowa's Golden Circle|url=http://siouxcityjournal.com/blogs/politically_speaking/politically-speaking-vander-plaats-moves-from-sioux-city-to-iowa/article_56e79ef0-5a7d-59ef-a01d-95ded058d390.html|accessdate=August 18, 2014|publisher=Sioux City Journal|date=August 22, 2012}}</ref> Their third son, Lucas, had [[lissencephaly|partial pachygyria lissencephaly]] from birth, and died in 2021, aged 28.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://thefamilyleader.com/lightfromlucas/|title = In loving memory: Lucas Vander Plaats|website = The Family Leader|date = December 8, 2021|accessdate = November 4, 2022}}</ref> Vander Plaats wrote a book about him, ''Light from Lucas: Lessons in Faith from a Fragile Life'', which was published by [[Tyndale House]] in 2007.<ref name="Tyndale House Publishers">{{cite book|last1=Vander Plaats|first1=Bob|url=https://archive.org/details/lightfromlucasle0000vand|title=Light from Lucas: Lessons in Faith from a Fragile Life|date=2007|publisher=Tyndale House Publishers|isbn=9781589973985|quote=Light from Lucas.|url-access=registration}}</ref> == References == {{reflist|30em}} == External links == <!-- *[http://teamvp2010.com/ Official campaign website] --> *[http://onpoint.wbur.org/2011/04/21/trump-president Guest on On Point, April 21, 2011 – "Donald Trump For President"] *{{C-SPAN|1016815}} {{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Debi Durham}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Republican Party of Iowa|Republican Party]] nominee for [[Lieutenant Governor of Iowa]]||years=[[2006 Iowa gubernatorial election|2006]]}} {{s-aft|after=[[Kim Reynolds]]}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Vander Plaats, Bob}} [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:21st-century American male writers]] [[Category:21st-century American memoirists]] [[Category:American chief executives]] [[Category:American people of Dutch descent]] [[Category:American school principals]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2002 United States elections]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2006 United States elections]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2010 United States elections]] [[Category:Drake University alumni]] [[Category:Iowa Republicans]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Northwestern College (Iowa) alumni]] [[Category:People from Sheldon, Iowa]] [[Category:Schoolteachers from Iowa]] [[Category:Writers from Iowa]]'