Editing Terry Branstad (section)

== Personal life ==
Branstad married [[Christine Branstad|Christine Johnson]] on June 17, 1972. They have three children, [[Eric Branstad|Eric]], Allison, and Marcus, and eight grandchildren. His wife has worked as a medical assistant and as a volunteer at schools and hospitals.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141109150646/http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/spouses-bios/col2-content/main-content-list/christine-branstad.html Christine Branstad (Iowa)] Archived from [http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/spouses-bios/col2-content/main-content-list/christine-branstad.html the original] on November 9, 2014</ref> Eric Branstad is a [[Political consulting|political consultant]] and [[Lobbying|lobbyist]] whose lobbying activities on behalf of Chinese firms while Branstad was [[United States Ambassador to China|US Ambassador to China]] led to charges with conflict of interest.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last1=Hvistendahl |first1=Mara |last2=Fang |first2=Lee |title=The China Ambassador's Son Who Got Rich in Trump's Swamp |url=https://theintercept.com/2020/10/15/eric-branstad-trump-china-ambassador/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=The Intercept |date=October 15, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Petroski |first=William |title=Report: Branstad's son, Eric, used Trump ties seeking business in China |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/29/terry-branstad-son-eric-branstad-donald-trump-administration-business-china/747749002/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Areddy |first=James T. |title=Eric Branstad, Son of U.S. Envoy to China, Used Trump Ties to Lure Business |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/son-of-u-s-envoy-to-china-used-trump-ties-to-lure-business-1530306803 |access-date=2023-01-17 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=June 29, 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> Branstad denied the allegation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Zachary Oren |title='My son has done nothing to profit from China,' former ambassador to China Terry Branstad of Eric Branstad |url=https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/23/iowa-terry-eric-branstad-hunter-biden-comparison/3729856001/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=Iowa City Press-Citizen |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-22 |title=Branstad Daughter and Her Family will Accompany the Branstads to China |url=https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news/2017-03-21/branstad-daughter-and-her-family-will-accompany-the-branstads-to-china |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=Iowa Public Radio |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-06 |title=Branstad to stay in Beijing, but other family members leaving |url=https://www.radioiowa.com/2020/02/06/branstad-to-stay-in-beijing-but-other-family-members-leaving/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=Radio Iowa |language=en-US}}</ref> Marcus was appointed by his father to the Iowa Natural Resources Commission in 2013 and works as a lobbyist for the [[American Chemistry Council]].<ref name=":6" />

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/trump-s-china-ambassador-pick-member-of-freemasons-banned-in-china-1.3194396|title = Trump's China ambassador pick member of Freemasons, banned in China|date = December 7, 2016}}</ref>

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, Iowa|Forest City]], and his rise in politics.<ref>{{cite news|title=Iowa's Record Setting Governor: The Terry Branstad Story|url=http://businessrecord.com/Content/Default/BPC-Book-Publishing/Article/Iowa-s-Record-Setting-Governor-The-Terry-Branstad-Story/-3/1032/71285|access-date=October 13, 2017|publisher=Business Record|date=December 16, 2015}}</ref>

Branstad is a second cousin of [[Merrick Garland]], who served as [[United States Attorney General|United States attorney general]] under President [[Joe Biden]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=McKinney |first1=Kait |date=March 16, 2016 |title=Branstad Has Unique Connection to SCOTUS Nominee Merrick Garland |url=http://whotv.com/2016/03/16/branstad-has-unique-connection-to-scotus-nominee-merrick-garland/ |work=WHO-HD Channel 13}}</ref>{{efn|Branstad's maternal grandfather was Louis Edward Garland, whose brother Max Hyman (later "Harry") Garland is the grandfather of [[Merrick Garland]]. Max and Louis were born in Vagova, Lithuania, then part of the [[Pale of Settlement]] within the [[Russian Empire]]; they immigrated to the United States together, arriving in New York City on December 7, 1907 and listing their race as "Hebrew". The Garland brothers then settled in [[Council Bluffs, Iowa]].<ref name=Margolick>{{cite magazine |last= Margolick | first=David |url = http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/198684/whats-in-merrick-garlands-name | title= What's in Merrick Garland's Name? |magazine=[[Tablet (magazine)|Tablet]]|date=March 18, 2016 |access-date=March 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324190834/http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/198684/whats-in-merrick-garlands-name|archive-date=March 24, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=ForwardStory>{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Nathan-Kazis |url=http://forward.com/news/336091/merrick-garland-offers-poignant-story-about-anti-semitism-as-supreme-court/|title=Merrick Garland Offers Poignant Story About Anti-Semitism as Supreme Court Battle Looms|work=[[The Forward]]|date=March 16, 2016|access-date=March 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320090502/http://forward.com/news/336091/can-merrick-garland-fair-minded-mensch-of-a-judge-win-spot-on-the-supreme-c/|archive-date=March 20, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=image>{{cite news|last=Garland|first=Max|title=Declaration of Intent: citizenship application |url=http://www.tabletmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/MaxGarland-Papers.jpg|work=United States Department of Labor Immigration and Naturalization Service|location=Chicago, Illinois|date=April 14, 1936|access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref>}}