Branstad announces transition team

Fresh from Tuesday's decisive election win, Gov.-elect Terry Branstad has started to assemble a team to guide his transition effort and lead his new administration.

Branstad today named David Roederer to be chairman of the team that will lead the transition effort leading up to Branstad's Jan. 14 inaugural to an unprecedented fifth, four-year term. Branstad previously served as governor from 1983 to 1999, which already eclipsed the previous longest-serving governor – his predecessor Robert Ray who served 14 years via a mix of five, two-year and four-year terms.

Branstad also named Jeffrey Boeyink, who managed his successful election campaign, to be the co-chairman of the transition team and to serve as Branstad's chief of staff once his new administration replaces outgoing one-term Democratic Gov. Chet Culver in January.

The governor-elect also designated Tim Albrecht to be his communications director during the transition and when the new administration takes office.

“Iowans expect us to hit the ground running and the appointment of these three capable individuals to lead our transition efforts shows we are serious about beginning this process immediately and preparing our team to be ready to act on day one,” Branstad said in a statement. “David, Jeff, and Tim are proven successful leaders and they will assist me in building a dynamic new team to lead our state and accomplish our ambitious goals.”

Roederer currently is executive director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance and was Branstad's former chief of staff during part of the time that Branstad previously served as governor.

Boeyink was previously executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa and was a long-time executive and lobbyist for Muscatine-based Iowans for Tax Relief.

Albrecht has been active in Republican politics and previously served as an aide to state Rep. Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City.

Branstad, 63, engineered a stunning political comeback and wrote his name more prominently into Iowa history books by ousting Culver in comfortable fashion Tuesday.

With 1,768 of 1,774 precincts reporting in unofficial results, Branstad had garnered 587,979 votes, or 52.84 percent, compared to Culver's 480,464, or 43.18 percent.

In building on his record 16 years as governor from 1983 to 1999, Branstad became only the second Iowan to win non-consecutive terms as the state's chief executive, matching a feat achieved by Samuel Kirkwood who served from 1860-64 and returned to the governorship in 1876 for a one-year stint.

With his defeat, Culver, 44, became the first sitting governor to be unseated in nearly five decades. The West Des Moines Democrat is the first incumbent to lose the governorship since Harold Hughes defeated one-term Gov. Norm Erbe in 1962.

Branstad left his post as president of Des Moines University last year to return to the political arena and survive a three-way GOP primary before leading Culver wire to wire in a fall campaign that was both negative and expensive. Both candidates pounded each other relentlessly during three face-to-face debates and via the airwaves in a hard-fought battle that cost nearly $17 million in combined fundraising and spending.