State Senator Chaz Allen (D-Newton) announced to supporters Friday morning that he will not run for re-election in Iowa Senate District 15. The district consists of Eastern Polk County (Altoona, Bondurant, Elkhart, Runnells, and Mitchellville) and the Northern two-thirds of Jasper County, as well as, the southwest corner of the county (Colfax, Baxter, Kellogg, Newton, and Prairie City).
Allen was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2014. Before that, he was a two-term mayor of Newton.
He said he was resigning because of a new business opportunity.
He wrote:
I am announcing today that because of a new business opportunity, I will not be seeking re-election to the Iowa Senate this November.
The end of this year will mark 14 years of elected service for me. That’s something I would have never thought possible 14½ years ago. Fourteen years ago, Teri and I had daughters who were five years old and three years old. Today, they are 19 and 17 years old. Time flies when you are busy and having fun!
As Mayor of Newton, we came through the loss of Maytag with new industry and new spirit. Today, I am proud that the people of Newton are still fighting to make our community stronger and better.
As your State Senator, we fought for more accessible health care for more Iowans, and we passed a Drug Endangered Child law that helps kids get out of dangerous situations and helps addicted parents get the help they need. We fought for better wages and better jobs, the right for women to make their own health care decisions, and we fought against efforts to take away the rights of working Iowans. While we didn’t win all those battles, they were fights worth fighting, and that fight must continue.
As Teri, our daughters and I start a new chapter in our lives, we want to thank everyone for the opportunity to serve the people of Iowa.
Democrats hold a voter registration edge of less than a 1000 people (14,495) over Republicans (13,739) which is slightly less than the voter registration advantage Democrats enjoyed in 2014. There are 14,835 registered independent voters in the district as well. President Donald Trump won this Senate District in 2016 by 15 points.
The loss of an incumbent State Senator makes Senate District 15 more competitive for Republicans. Tim Shay, a retiree from Southwestern Bell who moved to Newton in 2014, is the Republican nominee. Democrats will have to nominate a new candidate in a special nominating convention.