State Sen. Waylon Brown announced his resignation July 8, 2024. (Photo of Brown courtesy of Iowa Legislature, Capitol photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
North central Iowa State Sen. Waylon Brown resigned from office Monday, weeks after winning a close primary election.
Brown, R-Osage, said his decision would be effective Wednesday via a statement released Monday morning but did not provide a reason for his decision.
“I will forever be grateful to the people of my district who entrusted me to represent them in the Iowa State Capitol. I’m thankful for my wife, Julie, and our two kids, who have supported me throughout my tenure as state senator,” Brown said in the statement.
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In his resignation statement, Brown highlighted his work on energy policies, licensing reform and the budget.
Brown, a Republican, has been in the Iowa Senate since defeating incumbent Democrat Mary Jo Wilhelm in 2016. He currently represents Mitchell, Worth and Cerro Gordo counties as well as portions of Floyd County.
Brown narrowly won the June primary – 53% to 47% – over challenger Doug Campbell. Campbell criticized Brown for refusing to hold hearings about limiting the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines.
Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, will hold a nominating convention within the next 30 days to nominate a new Republican candidate for Brown’s seat, according to the Republican Party of Cerro Gordo County. Members of the convention will consist of representatives of the counties who live in Senate District 30.
Brown’s would-be Democratic challenger Rich Lorence of Mason City also released a statement about Brown’s decision.
“I want to thank Senator Brown for his hard work and leadership in the Iowa Senate on behalf of North Central Iowa and wish him the best of luck in whatever his future endeavors are,” Lorence said in the statement.
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