FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/25/25
Contact: Ben Anderson
Sherman For Freedom Committee
[email protected]
BRAD SHERMAN’S CAMPAIGN MAKES STATEMENT REGARDING ADAM STEEN’S PRESS CONFERENCE ON SATANIC EVENT AT CAPITOL
Williamsburg, Iowa: Brad Sherman, Republican candidate for Iowa Governor, is issuing a critique of former DAS director Adam Steen’s 11/24/25 press conference in the Iowa State Capitol.
“This press release is in pursuit of clarity and truth. I am very glad that the Satanic Temple’s request was denied, and I am glad that Adam Steen is now taking a strong stand against the normalization and advancement of satanism. But yesterday’s press conference by Adam Steen was, in my opinion, political grandstanding attempting to control the narrative and distract from his previous mistake. I was the lead voice fighting against the blasphemous satanic display in the Capitol in 2023 which was allowed by the then director of the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) – Adam Steen. I asked for it to be removed, but it did not happen,” Sherman said.
“As a kickoff point for his campaign Steen claimed credit for denying the Satanic Temple’s activities at the Capitol. I spoke with him on the phone shortly after his announcement and told him that claiming credit for denying the Satanic Temple’s request, given the fact that he had allowed it the year before, bordered on dishonesty. I gave him the opportunity to drop this issue, but he doubled down on it and kept claiming credit for being the guy who said “No”.”
“Steen was recently asked about this issue, and he finally owned the fact that he was the one who allowed the Satanic Temple’s request in 2023, but claimed it was because of First Amendment rights. Based on his statements, it seems that Steen sees the 2024 and the 2025 requests for what he describes as a ritual by the Satanic Temple as crossing the line, whereas the display in 2023 by the Satanic Temple did not. I have a problem with that kind of hair-splitting which looks to me like an attempt to create cover for someone now running for governor. My position from the beginning has been that any acceptance of openly proclaimed satanism is dangerous and must be rejected lest we allow the normalization of evil.”
“I think Adam is a pretty good guy, but his lack of clarity and his shifting positions on this, and other issues, indicate that he is not ready to be the governor of Iowa.”
If you have any questions, please contact the campaign by visiting www.shermanforiowa.com or emailing [email protected].
