DES MOINES - The Republican Party of Iowa on Saturday chose Matt Strawn of Ankeny as the new chairman as the party looks to rebuild after losses in last year's general election.

The party's state central committee also selected Waterloo native and former State Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, an Iowa State University accounting professor from Nevada, to serve as the party's co-chair.

To win the post, Kurtenbach beat out longtime incumbent party co-chair and former Black Hawk County Supervisor Leon Mosley of Waterloo; the party's 2008 U.S. Senate nominee, Christopher Reed of Marion; and former secretary of state and Cedar Rapids mayor, Paul Pate.

Mosley said he was happy with the selection of Kurtenbach.

"I like Jim. I've been there 10 years and I'm glad he's following behind me," Mosley said. "He gave me the decency to call me and talk to me about it beforehand. I like Jim and respect Jim. Jim is a Republican's Republican and he's going to do a great job. The right guy got it."

Mosley also lost his county supervisor seat in 2006 after 16 years on the board.

Kurtenbach paid tribute to his predecessor.

"Leon Mosley is a fellow Waterloo native and has been a close friend for all the time I've been in Iowa politics," Kurtenbach said. "We will remain close friends and plan trips around Iowa working together. He has been an an inspiration to a group of Iowa leaders and people following behind him."

Strawn said the party needs to rebuild from the ground up by listening to the grassroots and aggressively building their fundraising base as they head into the 2010 election.

"The challenges we have are great, but the opportunities as Republicans in this state are tremendous," Strawn said at a news conference at party headquarters after his election.

Recruiting legislative candidates who can articulate a message that is relevant to voters and making better use of technology also is important, Strawn said.

He pointed out Republicans were beaten 2 to 1 with voters 30 and under in the presidential election. Strawn said one of the reasons was Republicans failed to use technology such as social networking Internet sites to communicate with those voters.

"When we weren't using

Facebook, when we're not using Twitter, when we're not using text messaging, we're telling those age groups that either we don't care how you communicate, or we don't want to know, and either way we're sending a horrible message," Strawn said.

Strawn had stressed the need to embrace technology as he sought the chairmanship and underscored that message by using a video on Internet site YouTube to announce his run for the post.

Strawn, 35, beat out former state representative Danny Carroll of Grinnell and Hardin County Co-Chair Andy Cable on the first ballot of a vote of central committee members to win the position.

Strawn is a co-owner of the Iowa Barnstormers Arena Football team and worked as an aide on Capitol Hill from 1997 to 2006. He also served as the Iowa State Director of John McCain's presidential campaign for part of 2007.

"Nothing can harden an impressionable mind's conservative philosophy than spending four years in Iowa City," Strawn said. State Central Committee member John Ortega of Bettendorf said he felt Strawn was the most capable to lead the party, citing his "youthful experience" and ability to raise money.

Contact Charlotte Eby at

(515)-422-9061 or chareby@aol.com.