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Senator David Johnson Will Not Seek Re-election

Iowa Legislature

Back in 2016, when it was clear the Republican Party was warming up to the idea of having Donald Trump as its Presidential nominee, one state Senator from Iowa quit the Republican Party. Now, he's announced that he will not be seeking reelection as an Independent in the Iowa Senate.

On this edition of River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks with Senator David Johnson of Ocheyedan about this decision and how politics have changed in his nearly 20 years as a lawmaker in Iowa.

In recent years, Johnson says he has seen a definite political shift.

"I can't really explain it except there's just been a hard swing to the right, and our current governor has also made a hard swing to the right as she prepares to campaign for an election." 

As he thought about seeking reelection, Johnson saw a challenging path ahead of him.

"It was going to be a difficult campaign, that's a certainty," Johnson says. "It was going to be loaded with mud on the other side. There's been a lot of name calling going on up in Northwest Iowa already."

Johnson also thought about his family as he considered whether to run again.

"I need to take some time to travel and see my siblings and other relatives because over the last 20 years I just haven't taken the time to do that," Johnson says.

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Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River
Lindsey Moon is IPR's Senior Digital Producer