OSCEOLA, Iowa – Osceola Mayor Thomas Kedley, 31, launched his campaign for the Republican nomination in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District on Monday. Kedley filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission in May following U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, announcing he would retire at the end of his current term.

Kedley, an educator, said now that school is out he would hit the campaign trail.

ā€œI look forward to traveling this beautiful district of 24 counties and hearing from Republicans, Democrats and Independents,ā€ Kedley said. ā€œI want to hear your concerns, your solutions and I want to take your energy to Washington, D.C.ā€

ā€œAs a young man growing up in Clinton, I helped my grandfather on the family farm and watched my mother work multiple jobs to support her family of five. I lived on the front line of poverty where the American dream seemed out of reach. Friends would share their lunches, couches and pennies. I remember spending countless hours at school with my teachers because that is where I could see a glimmer of my dreams coming true. My family, friends and teachers taught me resilience and to persevere. They taught me to follow my calling to be a solution seeker and to be a voice for others,” he added.

As the mayor of Osceola, Kedley said he has worked to improve the quality of life for its residents through recreation, updating infrastructure and securing a reliable water source. He says he wants to take his leadership track record in Osceola to Washington to seek solutions that make the district, Iowa, and the country stronger now and in the future.

Kedley is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa where he earned a bachelorā€™s degree in Education. He is serving his second term as mayor of Osceola where he lives with his wife, Becca and two sons, Teddy and Rocky.

You can learn more about his campaign on his website – kedleyforcongress.com.

Photo Credit: Thomas Kedley/Facebook

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