part 2 The race for governor: Son's struggles give Vander Plaats focus | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register

His own faith and emotions have been tested by his son's rare brain disorder, which has repeatedly threatened the boy's life.

So perhaps it's not surprising that Vander Plaats can tap a ready reservoir of perseverance as he pursues his third campaign for the Republican nomination for governor.

While some in the GOP primary field have said they would re-evaluate their plans in light of former Gov. Terry Branstad's entry, Vander Plaats says he will not be dissuaded from his political quest.

"The commitment I made to my family, my supporters, the people who have engaged in my campaign is, unless something happens to my health or my family's health or something totally unforeseen, we are going to be on the ballot June 8, 2010," Vander Plaats said recently.

Vander Plaats, 46, has gained political savvy since his first campaign eight years ago, running again for governor four years ago and later serving as the chief Iowa adviser guiding Mike Huckabee's victory in the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses.

But Vander Plaats continues to portray himself as an outsider more in touch with everyday Iowans than with his party's political elite.

"I don't think we need leadership from the establishment," Vander Plaats said during a recent appearance at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. "We need leadership from an Iowan willing to do what's right because it's right, and expel what is wrong because it's wrong."

Gaining perspective

The struggles of his son Lucas, 16, affect Vander Plaats' character as a candidate more than any other experience, he says. Lucas' debilitating brain condition, partial pachygeria lissencephaly, makes him unable to speak or walk. It inhibits his immune system and makes him prone to seizures.

Vander Plaats often speaks of how Lucas has inspired everyone in his family and has given him a keen appreciation for children with special needs.

Last month, while Vander Plaats was in Fort Dodge, he canceled his political schedule when Lucas was taken to the hospital by ambulance from the family's home in Sioux City. Lucas had been exposed to H1N1 and spent several days in the intensive care unit before returning home.

"We've been through this before, where he'll bring us to the brink," he said.

Vander Plaats' wife, Darla, said that parenting Lucas has refocused her husband in a way she didn't expect when they were first married 26 years ago. Then, her husband was a high school teacher, and his main preoccupation was coaching basketball.

"I have seen that he has softened," Darla said. "For instance, he still loves basketball. But really, he's been able to keep that in perspective - better than he used to. It's opened his eyes to people who are hurting."

His experiences with Lucas led him in 1996 to become president of Opportunities Unlimited, a long-term care facility for people with brain injuries.

The four years he spent there inform his priority of streamlining government to reduce spending. He cut about 70 jobs and made the organization more efficient at the same time, he said. Similarly, he argues government must focus on its core.

Fellow Republican candidate for governor Christopher Rants has challenged Vander Plaats' claim of being a "turnaround CEO" at the company, arguing Vander Plaats left it in poor fiscal shape. Rants has circulated tax returns from the company showing it went from an operating surplus to a deficit during Vander Plaats' tenure.

Vander Plaats has responded that he was raising and spending money for a new building during the period and also fixed a long list of deficiencies.

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