Two years ago, a number of Republican county central committees in Iowa were voting to censure Senator Joni Ernst and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks due to their support for the DisRespect for Marriage Act.
A number of social conservative advocacy groups were vehemently against the DisRespect for Marriage Act. But some Republicans chose to side with Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi instead of conservative advocacy groups.
At the time, The Iowa Standard covered a number of the county central committees that publicly expressed their disappointment with Ernst. Now, two years later, The Iowa Standard has obtained a letter with Iowa Senate letterhead from a Republican State Senator to one of those county central committees.
Republican Sen. Dan Zumbach, who represents Iowa Senate District 34, penned the letter addressed to a specific county central committee. In it, he blasted the grassroots Republicans on the central committee who expressed their disappointment with Ernst’s vote against the Republican Party of Iowa’s platform.
“I cannot describe my disappointment in the recent actions of the (retracted) County Central Committee,” Zumbach wrote. “Individually elected officials have no power but collectively we can move conservative issues with grace.”
Zumbach then told the county central committee members they “have damaged” their ability to “communicate” with their elected officials.
“We are a team and you have taken a pop shot at one of our team members,” Zumbach wrote.
Zumbach then said he believes it is “safe to assume” none of them actually read the DisRespect for Marriage Act. He then claimed that Ernst worked to improve the bill and took “bad policy” and “made it better.”
“We should be praising her,” Zumbach said. “Not condemning her.”
He included a letter from Ernst that explained her support for the bill.
Zumbach finished the letter with a punch.
“You have created an environment where elected officials will avoid (your) County because your petty procedures,” he wrote. “From here forward it will be difficult for any of us to feel good about coming to (your) County and being welcomed. As a team, we will also be watching your actions and respond accordingly. The central committee responsibilities are to elect and support Republicans. Your attempt at overreach is unacceptable.”
