(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa G-O-P’s chairman says Governor Kim Reynolds has delayed selecting a new lieutenant governor because she’s focused on the election. Jeff Kaufmann says Reynolds is busy campaigning with Republican candidates who’re on the 2024 ballot. “She is everywhere and anywhere right now. This is not the right time to actually be basically running the party — she’s the titular head of the party — and at the same time picking the person who is going to be the lieutenant governor,” Kaufmann says. “And we have in the case, God forbid, of a disaster, you know, the senate president could step in.”

Adam Gregg resigned as lieutenant governor in early September and the president of the Iowa Senate is next in line of succession. Kaufmann says Reynolds is a methodical decision maker and that’s how she’s approaching this situation. Kaufmann made his comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S — and he was asked who may be on the governor’s list as potential picks for lieutenant governor.

Republican Party of Iowa chairman Jeff Kaufmann (Iowa PBS photo)

“If I sat here and speculated…what do you think the chances are that Kim Reynolds would return my next phone call?” Kaufmann replied. Kaufmann has been chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa since 2014, when Terry Branstad was governor and Reynolds was lieutenant governor.