Governor Branstad, much like many state Republican leaders, said he is disappointed the Iowa Straw Poll was canceled last week, but is now determined to turn the party’s focus on the February Caucus.

Branstad talked about maintaining Iowa’s first-in-the-nation spot for the presidential election in his weekly press conference earlier Monday.

“We’ve had for the last twenty or thirty years a good relationship with New Hampshire to keep the Iowa caucuses here and we want to keep it that way,” said Branstad. “I think the participation we’re seeing is indicative of the fact that Iowa is important and people are watching what’s going on here.”

Branstad said many Republican candidates have already gone to large platform events, such as Senator Joni Ernst’s “Roast and Ride” in Boone and the Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines last month. Branstad said now with the Straw Poll out, these types of events are even more important.

“And there’s many more events like these planned,” said Branstad. “My advice is of course go to all 99 counties. I do that, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds does that, Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley do that, and we find that’s a pretty successful way to win elections in this state.”

The governor also discussed his position on limiting the number of Republican candidates in caucus debates later this year.

“I would like to see the debates not just limited to the people are in the top tier of some national poll – I don’t think that’s fair,” said Branstad. “If there’s this many candidates, why not have two panels?”

Branstad said with more than one panel, Iowa voters will see all the candidates in a debate setting.

“That way, the public gets to see all the candidates and you don’t limit it by who’s got the most money,” said Branstad. “That’s always been the benefit of Iowa: you don’t have to be the richest candidate or the one with the biggest war chest to do well here.”