Branstad not ruling out accepting possible VP offer

Gov. Terry Branstad isn’t closing the door to accepting the vice presidential spot on the 2016 Republican presidential ticket.

“I am not seeking it, and I am not ruling anything in or out,” Branstad told reporters Monday at his weekly news briefing at the Iowa Capitol. “I just love this state and I want to do the best job that I can of making sure that we maintain the Iowa caucuses as first and that the focus is on the issues important to the state and the country.”

Iowa doesn't usually attract a lot of talk about the vice presidential post for either the Republican or Democratic presidential ticket since it’s a small state with only a handful of electoral votes. But Branstad, 68, who is in the midst of his sixth term, is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, and he's never lost an election.

Branstad doesn’t plan to endorse a Republican candidate prior to the Feb. 1, 2016, Iowa caucuses. But he has been friendly with many of the candidates and has offered them advice and has encouraged them to engage heavily in one-on-one retail politicking. He said Monday he simply wants to do the best job he can as governor and to be a good host for the Iowa caucuses.

Branstad also said he is encouraging GOP candidates who are participating in a Fox News debate on Thursday to focus on the substance of policy issues and not on attacking other candidates.

“I think that will score points with the American people. I think people are tired of personal attacks and all this race horse politics. They want to know who is going to get the country back on track financially; who is going to restore respect for America and leadership in the world; and who is going to be a champion for renewable energy,” Branstad said.