National Federation of Independent Businesses: NFIB endorses Brandstad

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kristin Kunert (515) 243-4723 [email protected] or

Tony Malandra (415) 664-9685[email protected]

Branstad Wins Endorsement of Iowa’s Leading Job Generators NFIB also backing 15 senate and 58 house candidates for the Legislature

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 11, 2010 – Former Gov. Terry Branstad and 73 candidates for the Iowa Legislature received one of their most important endorsements today, as the representative group for the state’s largest employer and leading job-generator announced its list of choices.

The endorsements were made by NFIB/Iowa Save America’s Free Enterprise (SAFE) Trust, the political action committee of the National Federation of Independent Business in the state. NFIB is America’s leading small business association. Endorsements for incumbents were based on their 2009-2010 legislative votes on 10 issues vital to the survival of small business in Iowa. A description of each bill and every lawmaker’s vote can be found on the NFIB/Iowa website at http://www.nfib.com/IA in the Voting Record (PDF) link in the left-hand column. A minimum 70 percent, pro-small business voting recorded was needed for endorsement consideration. Endorsements for challengers and for candidates running in open seats were based on interviews and responses to questionnaires. A complete list of both state and federal candidates endorsed by NFIB can be found on the NFIB/Iowa website at http://www.nfib.com/IA.

“Former Gov. Terry Branstad has a track record Iowa small business can count on,” said Kristin Kunert, Iowa state director for NFIB. “He has and will limit taxes and red tape, so small businesses can thrive and create real jobs for Iowans.” The political clout of small business is more influential than most people know:

• In April, the Pew Research Center released a study on the negative and positive views people hold on various American institutions. Small business came out first, 39 percentage points higher than labor unions, 46 points higher than large corporations, and 49 points higher than banks and financial institutions. • Small business owners comprise 15 percent of all registered voters in the U.S., by comparison union voters make up 11.9 percent. When small business employees are added, the small business voting bloc swells to 43 percent. • The most common public affairs and political activities in which small employers engage, according to the NFIB Research Foundation, include initiating discussions with employees regarding the impact of a policy issue on the firm. • Voters prefer candidates supported by small business by a margin of 3 to 1 over those supported by organized labor, according to the Winston Group

Read more at Branstad for Governor