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Branstad accuses Cruz, King of unethical tactics

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the top Republican vote-getter in the Iowa presidential caucuses, used unethical tactics when his campaign and supporter Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, told caucus goers that Ben Carson had dropped out of the race, Iowa Republican Gov. Terry Branstad told Radio Iowa on Thursday.

Branstad had told voters not to support Cruz due to his opposition to the Renewable Fuel Standard. The governor’s son, Eric Branstad, headed America’s Renewable Future, the Iowa effort to keep track of the candidates’ positions on the RFS, which sets volumetric requirements for renewable fuels.

“You know, we have a strong sense of fairness in Iowa,” Branstad said during an interview with Radio Iowa. “Distributing information that was not true about a candidate right at the time people are voting in the caucuses is an inappropriate thing.”



Republican businessman Donald Trump, who came in second in the race, has also criticized Cruz for the tactic, and Carson has noted his wife had to explain at one caucus site that he was still running — and he came in first in that caucus.

“You know, we have a strong sense of fairness in Iowa. Distributing information that was not true about a candidate right at the time people are voting in the caucuses is an inappropriate thing.” Terry Branstad, Iowa governor

King, who tweeted about Carson being “out” of the race during the caucus, will be running for reelection this year.



The radio report said Branstad is not out personally recruiting a Republican to challenge King in the June primary.

“Yet I think there are a number of people in the renewable fuels industry that are not happy with (King),” Branstad said. “I guess time will tell what happens.”

–The Hagstrom Report