OSCEOLA, Iowa ā Osceola Mayor Thomas Kedley is stepping down from Iowaās 2nd Congressional District Race. The 31-year-old Republican educator filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission in early May after the retirement announcement of Congressman Dave Loebsack, but has decided to back out of the race to continue to serve his hometown community, Osceola.
āI have thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Iowans from all over our 24 county district. They say there is no place like home, and as I traveled, I realized I wasnāt done yet in Osceola. At this time, I feel like I can make the biggest impact at the local and state level. There are many initiatives that I would like to see through and I owe it to our incredible community to do that,ā said
Kedley will continue his career in politics by serving Iowa on the local and regional level. He will teach the youth of Osceola, serve as mayor and looks forward to running for state politics. He encourages elected officials to cut through the partisan gridlock and truly focus on sufficiently funding public education and mental health, decrease government red tape for the family farmer and pass a balanced budget. āI want to sincerely thank everyone for their support, encouragement, and conversations. It has been an honor to meet and work with all of you,ā he said.