A prominent Republican state senator in Iowa has abruptly resigned, triggering a scramble to find a new Republican nominee for his district.
Waylon Brown had served in the Iowa state Senate starting in 2017 and was the Republican Senate majority's whip. He announced Monday that he would be resigning effective July 10.
Brown shared the news only weeks after winning a close Republican primary.
In a statement, Brown said he believes he had accomplished what he set out to do for the constituents of his district.
“When I took office, I said I wanted to leave things better than I found them, and I believe I accomplished that,” Brown said in a statement.
“Our rural and agricultural communities are stronger than they were seven years ago. This is critical — since ag and rural industries are the lifeblood of Iowa.”
Brown's 30th district covers a portion of northern Iowa including all of Worth, Mitchell and Cerro Gordo counties and part of Floyd County.
"I will forever be grateful to the people of my district who entrusted me to represent them in the Iowa State Capitol," Brown said. "I'm thankful for my wife, Julie, and our two kids, who have supported me throughout my tenure as state senator. I look forward to my next chapter. The best is yet to come!"
It was only weeks ago that Brown beat Republican Doug Campbell by about six points in a state primary.
Campbell had criticized Brown for failing to hold hearings on the use of eminent domain to seize land from landowners to build carbon capture pipelines.
Brown would have faced Democrat Richard Lorence in the race to represent Senate district 30. Lorence thanked Brown for his service.
"As we move forward, I am more committed than ever to serving North Central Iowa and making our state better for everyone," Lorence said. "This election is a pivotal moment for our district, and we have the opportunity to bring in new ideas and address the challenges we face to improve our public education, protect our landowner's rights from big corporations, and ensure Iowan's freedoms are protected from politicians in Des Moines."
The GOP will now hold a convention to nominate a new candidate for November.
The Iowa Senate has been a springboard for prominent politicians including now-governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Joni Ernst, and former House Rep. Steve King.
