Politics & Government
Walt Rogers Officially Enters First District Congressional Race
Rogers, a Republican who represents Cedar Falls at the Iowa statehouse, announced his candidacy Tuesday for Iowa's first Congressional district, a seat being vacated by Rep. Bruce Braley.
State Representative Walt Rogers is running for Congress.
Rogers, a Republican who represents Cedar Falls at the Iowa statehouse, announced his candidacy Tuesday for Iowa's first Congressional district, a seat being vacated by Rep. Bruce Braley. Braley is running for the Senate seat that will be open after Sen. Tom Harkin's retirement next year.
“I’m making it official: I’m running for Congress. It’s time to take ‘smaller, smarter government’ to Washington, DC,” Rogers said in a press release. “This election needs a proven, battle-tested leader who is able to assemble the resources and the team required to win in November.”
Rogers is currently serving his second term in Des Moines. A former youth pastor, Rogers grew up in Waterloo and currently lives in Cedar Falls.
In the Iowa House, Rogers serves on the Appropriations, Economic Growth, Education, and Transportation committees and is the Vice Chair of the Administration and Rules Appropriations Committee.
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He represents House District 60, which is comprised of much of west Waterloo and southern Cedar Falls, Hudson, and southwestern rural Black Hawk County.
The First District includes 20 counties in north east Iowa; Allamakee, Black Hawk, Benton, Bremer, Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Howard, Iowa, Jackson, Jones, Linn, Marshall, Mitchell, Poweshiek, Tama, Winneshiek, and Worth counties.
The current field of candidates is already crowded. Republicans Rod Blum of Dubuque and Steve Rathje of Cedar Rapids are also running.
Current Democrat contenders for the seat are Waterloo Rep. Anesa Kajtazovic, former speaker of the Iowa House Pat Murphy of Dubuque, Marion Democrat Swati Dandekar, Cedar Rapids Democrat Dave O’Brien and Cedar Rapids city council member Monica Vernon.
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