(Des Moines, IA) Iowa Governor Terry Branstad today signed a proclamation directing a special election to be held on Nov. 3, 2015, for Iowa House District 5, following the resignation of State Representative Chuck Soderberg (R-LeMars) who recently announced his resignation after being named as the new executive vice president for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.
Soderberg served as the House Appropriations Chairman since 2013, ensuring that the state’s budget abided by the four budgeting principles set out by House Republicans:
- We will spend less than the state collects;
- We will not use one-time money to fund ongoing needs;
- We will not balance the budget by intentionally underfunding programs; and
- We will return unused tax dollars to Iowa’s taxpayers.
“I want to thank Rep. Soderberg for his service to his constituents and for his great work on behalf of Iowans,” said Speaker-Select Linda Upmeyer (R-Clear Lake). “Chuck has worked with people on both sides of the aisle to craft a budget that puts a stop to the practice of spending one-time money to fund ongoing expenses, and spends less than the state brings in. While we will miss his leadership in the House, we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
House District 5 is comprised of Plymouth and a portion of Woodbury counties. The district includes the communities of Akron, Hinton, Le Mars, Lawton, Moville, and Pierson. A full district map can be found here.
Iowa Code 69.14 outlines the authority given to the governor to set a special election. The proclamation setting the date of the special election can be found here.