Branstad, Terry (1946-…), a Republican from Iowa, was the longest-serving governor in the history of the United States. Branstad served as the governor of Iowa, a state in the Midwestern United States, from 1983 to 1999 and from 2011 to 2017. After Donald Trump became president-elect in 2016, he nominated Branstad to become the U.S. ambassador to China.
Terry Edward Branstad was born in Leland, in northern Iowa, on Nov. 17, 1946. He grew up on his family’s farm. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1969. He then served for two years in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps. He earned a law degree from Drake University Law School in Des Moines, the capital of Iowa, in 1974. He then worked as a lawyer in private practice.
In 1972, Branstad was elected to a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives. He was reelected in 1974 and 1976. In 1978, he won election as Iowa’s lieutenant governor. In 1982, he was elected governor. He was reelected in 1986, 1990, and 1994. While Branstad was governor, the state invested in projects to maintain and improve Iowa’s infrastructure—that is, public services and facilities. Under Branstad, the state also made efforts to support its farming industry. Branstad also worked to build educational and trade partnerships between Iowa and China.
After leaving office in 1999, Branstad worked as a lawyer and financial adviser. He served as president of Des Moines University from 2003 to 2009. In 2010, Branstad ran again for Iowa governor and won. He was reelected in 2014. In 2015, Branstad surpassed George Clinton of New York to become the nation’s longest-serving governor. Clinton, a general in the American Revolution (1775-1783) and vice president under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, was New York’s governor from 1777 to 1795 and 1801 to 1804. In May 2017, Branstad stepped down as governor after the U.S. Senate confirmed his appointment as U.S. ambassador to China.
