Christine Ann Branstad is an American public figure, health activist, and retired medical assistant who served as the First Lady of Iowa for six nonconsecutive terms during the tenure of her husband, Governor Terry Branstad, from 1983 to 1999 and again from 2011 until 2017. She holds the record as Iowa's longest serving first lady, having spent over 22 years in the position. In addition to her record as Iowa's first lady, Christine Branstad is the longest serving first lady of any U.S. state in the country's history. Biography Branstad was born Christine Ann Johnson in Fort Dodge, Iowa. She married her husband, future Iowa Governor Terry Branstad on June 17, 1972. The couple had three children - Eric, Allison and Marcus. Branstad became First Lady of Iowa in January 1983 following the election of Terry Branstad to his first term as governor. She served as First Lady from 1983 until 1999 while simultaneously raising her children at the governor's residence. (Their youngest son, Marcus, was born while the Branstads were in office). As first lady, Christine Branstad focused on public health issues, including substance abuse, health and safety, and children's healthcare. In 1992, she earned her degree from Des Moines Area Community College with honors. She went on to work as a certified medical assistant in the Des Moines metro area during the 1990s and 2000s. More recently, after leaving office in 1999, she worked as volunteer several schools throughout central Iowa and the Boone County Hospital, including as President of the Boone County Hospital Auxiliary. Additionally, Branstad serves of the board of directors of the Des Moines Symphony and the Food Bank of Iowa. Christine Branstad returned for a fifth term as First Lady in 2010 following Terry Branstad's election in 2010. At the time, Branstad admitted that she thought she had moved on from life as a public figure before the 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Governor Branstad won re-election to an unprecedented sixth term in 2014, making Christine Branstad the longest serving First Lady in Iowa's history. In a break with tradition, no new doll of First Lady Branstad was created in 2014 to mark the election. It had been traditional that a doll of each of Iowa's 41 first ladies, wearing their inaugural gowns, be created and displayed Iowa State Capitol. The dolls, which are now a tourist attraction, was started by Branstad's predecessor, Billie Ray, during