Branstad to speak Friday at DMU, raising expectations

Republican Terry Branstad is slated to speak Friday at Des Moines University at an event that is closed to the public, which some see as a signal he will soon announce a comeback bid for governor.

Branstad has served as president of the university since 2003. A call to the president's office about the speech was referred to Jeff Boeyink, who started this week as the head of Branstad's gubernatorial exploratory committee.

Boeyink said the campaign has no events planned Friday, and that the speech Branstad is giving is an annual address to faculty and staff at the university. He declined to say whether Branstad might be stepping down from his role as president.

“The campaign doesn't haven't anything to do with that,” Boeyink said of Friday's event.

Branstad has said he expects to decide this month whether will run for governor, a job he held for four terms from 1983 to 1999.

Six Republicans already have said they are seeking or thinking about seeking the Republican nomination for the chance to challenge Democratic Gov. Chet Culver.

Isaiah McGee, a Republican state central committee member from Waukee, thinks Branstad will step down from his role at DMU to announce his run for governor.

He said members on the committee had been surprised this week to learn Boeyink had resigned as executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa to work on Branstad's committee.