Since Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced last month that she would not seek reelection, speculation about her potential successors has quickly intensified, particularly within the Republican Party. The field is already starting to take shape, with 4th District U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra officially filing to run. Attorney General Brenna Bird has also teased a potential bid for the governor’s seat. On the Democratic side, State Auditor Rob Sand has thrown his hat into the ring. With both parties now seeing early movement, the race for Iowa’s top office is beginning to take shape.
When we talked last month to Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, he hinted at the possibility of a run and said it was something he was discussing with his family. Yesterday, the Secretary announced that he will not enter the governor’s race and will instead seek another four-year term as Iowa’s Agriculture Secretary. Naig shares with us what led to that decision.
In his social media post yesterday, Naig said, “We have made tremendous progress over the past few years, but there remains important work ahead, and we’re not done yet.” He went on to outline several priorities for his next term, including expanding water quality initiatives, supporting Iowa’s livestock industry, and promoting Iowa-produced products at home and abroad.
Naig says he was fortunate to follow a great Secretary of Agriculture in the late Bill Northey and to help advance the work Northey began. He adds that he’s also proud to have built on that foundation by launching his own initiatives to further promote and strengthen Iowa agriculture. Naig adds that now is not the time to stop.
