Christopher Rants

{{Short description|American politician (born 1967)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{BLP sources|date=August 2017}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| imagesize =

| name =Christopher C. Rants

| state_house =Iowa

| district =54th

| term_start =1992

| term_end =2011

| preceded =Don Shoning

| succeeded =Ron Jorgensen

| birth_date ={{birth date and age|1967|9|16}}

| birth_place =Grosse Pointe, Michigan

| party =Republican

| spouse =Trudy Rants

| relations =

| children = Grace and Katharine Rants

| residence =Sioux City, Iowa

| alma_mater =Morningside College

| occupation =Consultant

| profession =

| signature =

| website = [http://www.rants.us Rants' website]

| footnotes =

| office =Speaker of the House|image=Rants Christopher 01.jpg

}}

Christopher C. Rants (born September 16, 1967) is a former Iowa State Representative. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1992 to 2010. He received his BA from Morningside College. His work experience includes managing environmental compliance projects for Metz Baking Company, and Pierce & Associates, a Sioux City consulting firm. After leaving the legislature, Rants started inSight Communication as government affairs and public relations firm. In 2015 Rants partnered his firm with PolicyWorks LLC, another Iowa government affairs firm.{{Cite web|url=http://www.policyworksiowa.com/iowa-news.cfm/Article/News/Former-Iowa-House-Speaker-Christopher-Rants-Teams-Up-with-PolicyWorks/2015-11-5|title=Former Iowa House Speaker Teams Up with PolicyWorks|website=www.policyworksiowa.com|access-date=2017-08-14|archive-date=2017-08-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814094744/http://www.policyworksiowa.com/iowa-news.cfm/Article/News/Former-Iowa-House-Speaker-Christopher-Rants-Teams-Up-with-PolicyWorks/2015-11-5|url-status=dead}}

Rants served on several committees in the Iowa House - Commerce, Education, Ways & Means, Labor, and Rules committees. His political experience includes serving as Assistant Majority Leader beginning in 1994, serving as the Speaker Pro Tempore,{{Cite web|url=http://publications.iowa.gov/135/1/legislative/2-6.html|title=House Officers and Committees|website=publications.iowa.gov|access-date=2017-08-18}} serving as House Majority Leader beginning in 1999, and serving as Speaker of the Iowa House{{Cite news|url=http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/rants-re-elected-house-speaker/article_7848836a-f39c-5873-8d70-fbe3e5ce516d.html|title=Rants re-elected House Speaker|last=Bureau|first=Dan Gearino, Journal Des Moines|work=Sioux City Journal|access-date=2017-08-18|language=en}} from 2003 through 2006.

Rants was re-elected in 2008 by a margin of 57% to 43%.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/results/2008GeneralResults.html |title=November 4, 2008 General Election Results |access-date=2009-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408054656/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/results/2008GeneralResults.html |archive-date=2009-04-08 |url-status=dead }}

In June 2009, Rants announced his intention to seek his party's nomination for the 2010 election for Governor of Iowa.{{cite news

|title=Humbler Rants to enter race for governor

|first=Thomas |last=Beaumont

|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090620/NEWS09/906200329/1007/NEWS05

|work=Des Moines Register

|date=June 20, 2009 |access-date=2009-06-22

}} {{dead link|date=December 2016|bot=medic}} Rants announced that he was pulling out of the race for governor in February 2010.

In 2006 and 2008 Rants backed Mitt Romney{{Cite news|url=http://wcfcourier.com/news/politics/romney-earns-rants-backing/article_65e6e13c-9afd-54df-9c25-bb0e025a58cf.html|title=Romney earns Rants' backing|last=Bureau|first=CHARLOTTE EBY, Courier Des Moines|work=Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier|access-date=2017-08-14|language=en}} in the Iowa caucuses, and in 2016{{cite news |title=Sioux Cityan Rants moves to role with Fiorina campaign |last1=Hayworth|first1=Bret|url=http://siouxcityjournal.com/blogs/politically_speaking/article_d46355fe-297e-579b-b2c3-3c6806d90450.html|access-date=7 May 2015|publisher=Sioux City Journal|date=7 May 2015}} Rants was the state chairman for the Carly Fiorina for President campaign.

Christopher is an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership.{{Cite news|url=https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/rodel-fellowships-public-leadership/aspen-institute-rodel-fellowship-class-2008/|title=Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowship Class of 2008 - The Aspen Institute|work=The Aspen Institute|access-date=2017-08-14|language=en-US}} Rants serves as Vice Chairman {{Cite web|url=http://www.p2016.org/parties/rslc13.html|title=Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) Organization 2013-14, Democracy in Action|website=www.p2016.org|access-date=2017-08-14}} of the Republican State Leadership Committee.

Rants is an avid golfer, who has played the 2004 Golf Magazine's Top 100 Public Courses You Can Play.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reynoldslakeoconee.com/our-community/blog/articles/2013/08/16/top-100-courses-journey-completed-great-waters|title=Top 100 Courses Journey Completed At Great Waters|website=www.reynoldslakeoconee.com|language=en|access-date=2017-08-14}}