text: Personal life Branstad married Christine Johnson on June 17, 1972. They have three children, Eric, Allison, and Marcus, and eight grandchildren. His wife has worked as a medical assistant and as a volunteer at schools and hospitals. Eric Branstad is a political consultant and lobbyist whose lobbying activities on behalf of Chinese firms while Branstad was US Ambassador to China led to charges with conflict of interest. Branstad denied the allegation. Allison moved to Beijing with her father when he was appointed ambassador because she landed a job at the International School of Beijing as a third grade teacher. Marcus was appointed by his father to the Iowa Natural Resources Commission in 2013 and works as a lobbyist for the American Chemistry Council.
  Branstad is a member of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. He received the honor of "Knight Commander of the Court of Honor" in 2015.
  In 2015 longtime newspaperman and Iowa historian Mike Chapman published a biography of Branstad, Iowa's Record-Setting Governor: The Terry Branstad Story. The book details Branstad's youth on the family farm, his high school days in Forest City, and his rise in politics.
  Electoral history
  1972 election for Iowa House of Representatives District 8:
  Terry Branstad (R), 59.0%
  Elmer Selbrand (D), 41.0%
  1974 election for Iowa House of Representatives District 8:
  Terry Branstad (R), 68.7%
  Jean Haugland (D), 31.3%
  1976 election for Iowa House of Representatives District 8:
  Terry Branstad (R), 70.4%
  Franklin Banwart (D), 29.6%
  1978 Republican primary election for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa:
  Terry Branstad, 42.1%
  Hansen, 32.7%