Jennifer Jacobs

jejacobs@dmreg.com

Likely 2016 presidential candidate Rand Paul is beefing up his political work in Iowa, just days after GOP forces aligned with the establishment snuffed out the last vestiges of liberty movement control over party politics here.

Rand Paul, the son of Ron Paul, the three-time presidential candidate who inspired the anti-establishment liberty movement, today announced that he's hiring Steve Grubbs, a former Iowa GOP chairman, as the chief Iowa strategist for his political action committee.

Grubbs will play a role on RAND PAC's national team to work to elect Republicans in Iowa this year and to build "an organization for something more significant thereafter," Grubbs told The Des Moines Register in a telephone interview this morning.

Paul, a U.S. senator from Kentucky, has told Iowans he's "seriously looking at a presidential run." He was recently in Des Moines to give a speech at the Republicans' state convention on June 14.

On Saturday, Republicans allied with Gov. Terry Branstad tied up the last loose ends in their effort to seize control of the Republican Party of Iowa headquarters from liberty conservatives who swept into power in 2012. All of the Ron Paul Republicans have now been ousted from the party's governing board and top leadership slots. A new Branstad-aligned chairman, co-chairman and party executive director were installed Saturday. The new chairman, Jeff Kaufmann, made a point to make friendly overtures to liberty conservatives during remarks after his election.

This is the second Iowan RAND PAC has hired. Amid conflicts with Branstad, liberty Republican A.J. Spiker left his job as the Republican Party of Iowa chairman in March to become a political adviser to the Paul organization.

Paul backers pitched Grubbs as an ally of Branstad, noting they've known each other for 30 years. Branstad signed a bill at Grubbs' political and corporate consulting business, Victory Enterprises, earlier this year.

In a statement today, Paul said: "If we're to be successful in putting together an effective organization to advance the cause of liberty and freedom, we need to have successful state operations. Steve's experience as state chair, serving in the Iowa Legislature and working for five previous presidential campaigns will help us build on what we already have in place. He will join A.J Spiker in Iowa, and Doug Stafford nationally, in leading the organization that I rely on to advance the cause of liberty in Iowa and nationwide."

Grubbs served in the Iowa House in the 1990s and has a long history with presidential campaigns in Iowa, working with Bob Dole in 1988 and 1996, Steve Forbes in 2000, Tommy Thompson in 2008 and Herman Cain in 2012.

"The reason I'm supporting Rand Paul is he has the best ability to expand the Republican Party to new voter blocs -- like (Ronald) Reagan did in 1980 when I was first coming into politics," Grubbs said.

Grubbs, a father of four, said his two college-age children like Paul. "The under-30 voters identify with him. For the Republican Party, that's going to be important moving forward."

"We will see if he runs for president," Grubbs said. "If he does, I'd transition to his campaign."

According to a news release this afternoon, "RAND PAC is a political action committee whose goal is to elect Republicans across the United States who are committed to less government and more freedom. Senator Paul has actively traveled across the nation campaigning on behalf of Republicans and expects to maintain an aggressive schedule into 2015 and beyond."