DES MOINES - GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats, a social conservative, said Tuesday he would choose a running mate for lieutenant governor who shares his values, not someone who would help provide balance to his ticket.

Talking with reporters at a Statehouse news conference, Vander Plaats said he is more interested in personal conviction than a political position when he thinks about a running mate.

"I'm not looking to balance the ticket with somebody who's moderate or liberal or who doesn't believe in those core values like I do," the Sioux City Republican said.

Some of the core values he emphasized include what he called a "culture of life" from conception to natural death and defining marriage as a union between a man and woman.

Vander Plaats - who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2002 and 2006 and was GOP gubernatorial nominee Jim Nussle's running mate in 2006 - did not say whether he will name a running mate before next year's primary election.

With campaigning picking up for next June's GOP primary, Cedar Rapids businessman Christian Fong, who like Vander Plaats is seeking his first elective office, said not having political experience is proving to be an advantage in the current election cycle.

For his part, Fong compared the GOP field of six, possibly seven, candidates to a reality TV "Survivor" series.

"There are clearly too many candidates," said Fong, who brought his gubernatorial bid to an Iowa Asian Alliance meeting in Des Moines on Tuesday.

Fong said Republicans voters are looking for viability and something unique in selecting someone to challenge Democratic Gov. Chet Culver because most of the GOP candidates' core message is similar - a focus on smaller government, lower taxes and pro-growth.