Rand Paul is beefing up his Iowa operation, hiring former Iowa GOP chairman Steve Grubbs as an adviser to his political-action committee.
It is Paul’s vision for the GOP that compelled him to sign on with the senator’s team, Grubbs told Politico. ”Rand Paul’s vision for the Republican Party is one that can expand our base and welcome under-30 voters into the party,” he said. “And that’s important not just for this election, but for the future as well. That’s one of the reasons I’m stepping into RAND PAC as they move forward in the 2014 election.”
Grubbs is the second former Iowa GOP chairman to join forces with Paul. A. J. Spiker stepped down from the party chairmanship in March to serve as an adviser to RAND PAC.
The moves are not only a sign of the seriousness of Paul’s presidential aspirations but also of the internecine warfare that has for years been taking place within the Iowa Republican party between the state’s governor, Terry Branstad, and political operatives loyal to Paul and his father, former Texas representative Ron Paul.
Over the past several months, Branstad’s forces have wrested control of the party from the Paulites, freeing them to officially sign on to his campaign.