DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy, Binkley highlight faith and family at Randy Feenstra event

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Four Republican presidential candidates talked about their faith and family life in front of a friendly audience in northwest Iowa in one of the last big multi-candidate events ahead of the caucuses.

Texas pastor Ryan Binkley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy spoke at the Faith & Family with The Feenstras event in Sioux Center on Saturday morning, taking turns at question-and-answer sessions moderated by U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra and his wife, Lynette Feenstra.

Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull who represents the 4^th Congressional District in northwest Iowa, kicked off the event saying the focus would be on faith.

“When you think of faith, you think of what’s in the heart, you think about what that means and what we look to,” he said. “We look to God for our direction and our guidance, and our leaders should do the same thing.”

More: Politics of prayer: On Iowa's caucus trail, a 'spiritual war' and blessings for candidates

The conversations touched on policy, but also got personal. The candidates were joined onstage by either their spouse or one of their children as they talked about the values that have shaped their lives and their outlook for their campaigns.

DeSantis talked about raising his young children. Binkley and his wife, Ellie, talked about their decision to adopt a child. Ramaswamy talked about his Hindu faith. Haley talked about her daughter’s career as a nurse.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Feenstra said having the candidates’ family members onstage with them helped the audience see them as a real person and not just a candidate.

“I think it made each candidate authentic, that 'Hey, I’m not only running for president, but I also have a family, I have children, I have a husband or a wife,'” he said. “It makes it real for everybody to see the rest of that person.”

Feenstra said in July that he plans to endorse in the presidential race. But on Saturday, he emphasized that he sees himself as an ambassador for Iowans.

After Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats weighed in on behalf of DeSantis, Feenstra is perhaps the state’s biggest potential endorser still up for grabs ahead of Caucus Day.

“I’ve said early on that my job first and foremost is to be the ambassador to anybody that wants to come,” Feenstra said. “Because I want to show them. And then whether it be endorsing, that will come later. But for me, I want everybody to be open-minded. I don’t want to dilute their thoughts. I want them to make the decision. And then maybe down the road we’ll make that decision.”

Ron DeSantis says faith keeps his moral compass pointing north

Ron DeSantis and his wife, Casey, took the stage together, joking about the chilly weather that whipped across Sioux Center on Saturday. They said their three kids encountered snow for the first time in Iowa and asked why they couldn’t have snow in Florida.

“I'm like, it doesn’t work like that, kids!” Ron DeSantis said to laughs.

Both DeSantises spoke about the challenges of balancing campaign life with being parents. Casey said it’s important to make sure their kids know “what we’re fighting for,” but also laughed about how they’re processing the information.

She said their kindergarten-age son, who is a big football fan, asked about DeSantis’ recent debate with California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“He goes, 'Did dad win?' I go, 'Yeah, buddy dad won,’” Casey said. “And he goes 'What was the score?' I said, 'We couldn't even count, it was so good!' But no, we enjoy having them with us. These are very special times and it's a blessing.”

Ron DeSantis spoke about the need to integrate the faith community into public policy. He said he created a program that relies on churches to help provide services to Floridians in need.

“And guess what, once that happens, they don't go back for government assistance,” he said. “They're on a pathway to prosperity. So, these are difficult things where we've recognized that the faith community needs to be brought to the table.”

He said his faith is what keeps his moral compass pointing “true north.”

“Every single day in this process, the media, opposition, everything — it's all designed to push you off course,” he said. “It's all designed to divert you from being able to achieve what you're looking to achieve. And so having that foundation of faith in God is really what keeps you centered.”

Ryan Binkley: ‘God moments’ shaped trajectory of life

Binkley, a businessman and pastor from Texas, spoke about “God moments” he’s experienced in life where he said God changed the path he was on, including calling him to become a pastor and to enter the presidential race.

He said God began speaking to him in dreams that he should run for president eight years ago.

“And I was like, ‘What is this? Are you serious?’ I was not a politician,” he said. “Still not a politician.”

He said he ignored those messages for years, but they kept coming.

“God really spoke to our heart to enter this race for a message,” Binkley said. “And really the message was this: that America needs an economic revival and America needs a spiritual revival. And the time for that revival is now.”

Binkley’s wife, Ellie, spoke about her experience immigrating to the United States from South Korea as a child and the couple’s decision to later adopt a child from South Korea. She said the United States should make it easier to foster children and more affordable to adopt.

“We want to promote a culture of life that not only is there a culture of life for the baby but there’s love and support for the mother that’s in a point of crisis,” she said.

Binkley used his final comments to criticize the Republican National Committee’s criteria for allowing candidates on the debate stage. Binkley has failed to qualify for any of the four Republican primary debates, but he said his campaign has 81,000 donors and they deserve to be heard.

“It’s time to let the 81,000 people and the people of Iowa to hear, you know what, that we want to see something different in our country,” he said.

Vivek Ramaswamy predicts wave of non-traditional caucusgoers will support him

Ramaswamy promoted a new generation of leadership as he took the stage with his young son, Karthik, who sat next to him tucked into a big leather chair.

Ramaswamy asked his son if he wanted to say anything into the microphone.

“No,” Karthik said quietly, as the room laughed.

Ramaswamy spoke about the ways his Hindu faith overlaps with the values espoused in Christianity.

“My parents instilled in me my faith from a young age, and though I left it probably for much of my 20s and late teen years, I definitely came back to it with conviction,” he said. “My faith teaches me there's one true God, that he put each of us here for a purpose, that we have a duty to realize that purpose, that God works through us. … That's the core of my Hindu faith.”

After leaving the stage, Ramaswamy spoke to a group of male college students and dropped to the ground for 30 pushups after being challenged to a contest.

When he finished, he urged them to attend the caucus and bring their friends, saying their generation can help shape the future of the party.

“You gotta go to the Iowa Caucus. January 15. College kids do not go,” he said.

Ramaswamy said he believes the polls, which currently show him in the low single digits, are not capturing the types of nontraditional voters his campaign attracts.

“Probably half the guys I just did pushups with ... they're going to show up at the caucus, and they never would have if it weren't for me,” he said. “So, I think that's a major surprise in store on January 15.”

More: Where do I caucus? Republicans release Iowa Caucus sites for presidential nominations

Nikki Haley recalls how she leaned on faith after South Carolina church shooting

Lynette Feenstra asked Haley how she would ensure her Christian values are at the forefront of her administration.

Haley recalled the 2015 shooting at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston when she was governor where a white supremacist killed nine Black churchgoers. After images emerged of the shooter with the Confederate flag, Haley called for the flag to be taken down from in front of the South Carolina Statehouse.

“It was a tough process, but at the end of it, we didn’t have violence, we had vigils,” she said. “We didn’t have protests, we had hugs. And we showed the entire world what strength and grace look like.”

A few days before the shooting, Haley said, she had called for a state day of prayer. In hindsight, she credits that faith and readiness for preparing the state for what would happen.

“Looking back, I truly believe that state day of prayer was preparing us for the tragedy that was going to happen,” she said. “And I think it’s what saved us at the end of the day.”

Haley’s daughter, Rena, who sat next to her onstage, was asked how she and her mother stay connected during the campaign.

Rena said her father is currently deployed overseas with the South Carolina National Guard. Normally he would be the one in the front row at debates to offer support and encouragement. But Rena said she’s taken on that role in his absence.

“I know you probably won’t see it on TV, but she’ll smile at me, and I’ll smile back at her. I’ll give her a thumbs up, help her keep that energy going,” she said. “And so that’s been really special, because she’s always been so supportive of me and my brother.”

Iowans excited to hear the candidates, but still undecided

Eric Ortner, a 41-year-old IT worker from Sioux Center, said he came to the event because he’s still deciding on a candidate to support.

“I’m probably leaning DeSantis, but as of right now it’s not official,” he said. “So that’s why I wanted to be here, because I haven’t seen a lot of the candidates in person.”

As for Trump, Ortner said, “there’s a lot of people that I talk to in this area that are just done with him.”

He said he feels like it’s time to move on from Trump and try a different candidate.

Ortner attended the event with his 13-year-old son, Justin, who is interested in politics and wants to hear candidates talk about the future.

“I’m kind of in between Ramaswamy and DeSantis,” Justin said. “But yeah, I’m excited to hear them all right now. I was very excited watching the Republican debate Wednesday night and three out of the four of them are going to be here today.”

Lisa Laird, 62, a retired educator and ventriloquist, said she came to the event to learn about the candidates “because I’m basically an ostrich.”

Laird said she doesn’t follow the news “because it raises my blood pressure,” but she’s concerned about issues like family values, the southern border, abortion and protecting religious freedom.

She said she’s leaning toward supporting DeSantis, but thinks a lot of the candidates have addressed the issues she’s concerned about.

Mark Muilenburg, a 63-year-old Orange City resident, said he’s still undecided but is leaning toward caucusing for DeSantis.

“I'm a little tired of the animosity between the three main (candidates),” he said. “And I'm hoping after the Iowa caucus they can somehow figure out how to work together and maybe give us an option other than Trump.”

Muilenburg said he has appreciated Gov. Kim Reynolds’ endorsement of DeSantis and said it was meaningful. If Feenstra endorses as well, he said he would respect that choice.

“I think the Republican leadership we have in Iowa right now has earned quite a bit of credibility through the last election,” he said. “There was supposed to be a red wave around the country that never occurred, but it did in Iowa. And because of that, they've done a good job. And they have a right to support who they want, and I think a lot of people in Iowa would agree with them because they've earned it.”

More: Everything you need to know about the Iowa caucuses ahead of the 2024 presidential race

Asa Hutchinson says he wasn't invited, Iowa Democratic Party Chair criticizes Republican candidates

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, said in a statement he was not invited to the event.

"I reached out to Cong. Feenstra to seek an invitation to participate in his faith presidential forum, but my campaign was told that I was not invited," he said in the statement. "I have asked for an explanation, but I have heard none. Perhaps the reason is that my candidacy is a threat to the candidate others are trying to protect. I was looking forward to the forum to talk about the importance of faith in my life and the important role faith should have in presidential leadership."

When asked for comment, Billy Fuerst, communications director for Randy Feenstra, said in a statement: “Congressman Feenstra looks forward to defeating Joe Biden next November and electing a strong conservative to the White House who will stop inflation, secure our border, and ban China from buying American farmland. He was proud to host over 700 Iowans at his faith and family forum — featuring Governor Ron DeSantis, Ambassador Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Pastor Ryan Binkley.”

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart released a statement ahead of the event criticizing the Republican candidates for not speaking out against former President Donald Trump’s comments in Iowa that he would be a dictator on “day one” to close the southern border and open up drilling.

"After that, I'm not a dictator, OK?" Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity at a town hall in Davenport.

“Is there any Republican candidate in Iowa who will stand up for democracy and stand against authoritarianism?” Hart said in her statement. “After Donald Trump told Iowans he would be a dictator on day one just this week, every single 2024 Republican coming to Sioux Center has cowered and remained silent. Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy need to look Iowans in the eye today and tell them whether they think Trump’s dictator pledge makes him unfit to be America’s commander in chief.”

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Republican caucus candidates head to northwest Iowa for Feenstra event