A former longtime Republican state lawmaker who made national headlines for switching parties in a rebuke of then-President Donald Trump is running again as a Democrat for a seat in the Iowa Legislature.
Former Iowa Rep. Andy McKean of Anamosa announced his candidacy Tuesday for the Iowa House seat currently held by Rep. Steve Bradley, R-Cascade, in the November 2024 election.
Bradley is in the middle of his second term, having won the seat from McKean in 2020.
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In 2019, McKean was the longest-serving Republican in the Iowa Legislature when he switched to the Democratic Party. McKean said the move largely stemmed from his philosophical differences with the policies and actions of then-President Donald Trump, and a party he believed "has veered very sharply to the right.“
In an op-ed, McKean wrote he believed Trump’s actions “have coarsened political discourse, have resulted in unprecedented divisiveness, and have created an atmosphere that is a breeding ground for hateful rhetoric and actions.”
McKean said the concerns he expressed in 2019 remain, and is running with the hope of uniting Iowans under a common cause to better the state and restore “the bipartisan, consensus-building approach to solving problems that once defined Iowa.”
“I think most Iowans really want to end the cycle of swinging from one extreme to the other and are tired of extremism and excessive partisanship,” McKean told The Gazette. “And I think it’s time for a new kind of leadership at the statehouse that is open to responsive compromise to the controversial issues of the day that would enjoy the support of a majority of Iowans and help bring people together instead of setting them apart.”
McKean served 24 years in the House and Senate, and was first elected in 1978. He was Senate Judiciary Committee chairman and president pro tempore when he left in 2002. He went on to serve on the Jones County Board of Supervisors. After retiring from a 35-year law practice, he ran for and was elected to the Iowa House in 2016. He was reelected in 2018, before being ousted by Bradley in 2020.
He played a key role in passing nonpartisan redistricting legislation and creating the state Resource Enhancement and Protection program for Iowa’s natural resources. He also helped develop and pass sentencing reform legislation, championed Iowa’s first elder abuse initiatives and led passage of legislation toughening penalties for drunken driving in the state.
Former Iowa Rep. Andy McKean
If elected, McKean said he would focus on prioritizing rural revitalization and restoring local control and decision-making authority for cities, counties and other institutions stripped away by Republican majorities. McKean said he would also focus on providing greater access to mental health services and affordable child care, continued sentencing reform, the promotion of ethanol, and improving educational quality.
Bradley, a dentist from Cascade, said he welcomes McKean as a challenger.
“Let him run. Free country,” Bradley told The Gazette. “We’ll let the voters decide. They decided once. They can decide again. This will be the third time. They see my track record and they see I stick with them. I’m a Republican and I stay a Republican. I’m conservative.”
House District 66 includes Jones County and the majority of Jackson County, excluding Maquoketa and the southwestern corner of the county.
"Many of these voters have already learned the hard way not to trust Andy McKean when he switched his party affiliation less than five months after being elected as a Republican,“ House Majority Fund Executive Director Reagan Bueller said in a statement. ”Since voters rejected McKean in 2020, they have come to know Steven Bradley as a strong, consistent representative that will fight to protect their freedom, values and economic interests in the Iowa House."
McKean said he remains the “same person I’ve always been, with the same priorities.”
“I believe my priorities will align with the vast majority of Democrats and many independents and Republicans as well,” he said.
To the last point, McKean said he feels the Iowa GOP is “no longer the Republican Party I knew. It’s become the MAGA party.”
He said many traditional conservatives feel the same.
“I think people will find a significant difference between my independent approach and my opponent’s extreme, hyperpartisan views and record,” McKean said. “Over my years in the Legislature, as both a Republican and now a Democrat, I’ve resisted partisan pressure and steered an independent course for the good of Iowa and the people and communities of my district. In contrast, my opponent toes the line set by his party leaders and special interests.”
www.thegazette.com
Former Iowa Rep. Andy McKean of Anamosa announced his candidacy Tuesday for the Iowa House seat currently held by Rep. Steve Bradley, R-Cascade, in the November 2024 election.
Bradley is in the middle of his second term, having won the seat from McKean in 2020.
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In 2019, McKean was the longest-serving Republican in the Iowa Legislature when he switched to the Democratic Party. McKean said the move largely stemmed from his philosophical differences with the policies and actions of then-President Donald Trump, and a party he believed "has veered very sharply to the right.“
In an op-ed, McKean wrote he believed Trump’s actions “have coarsened political discourse, have resulted in unprecedented divisiveness, and have created an atmosphere that is a breeding ground for hateful rhetoric and actions.”
McKean said the concerns he expressed in 2019 remain, and is running with the hope of uniting Iowans under a common cause to better the state and restore “the bipartisan, consensus-building approach to solving problems that once defined Iowa.”
“I think most Iowans really want to end the cycle of swinging from one extreme to the other and are tired of extremism and excessive partisanship,” McKean told The Gazette. “And I think it’s time for a new kind of leadership at the statehouse that is open to responsive compromise to the controversial issues of the day that would enjoy the support of a majority of Iowans and help bring people together instead of setting them apart.”
McKean served 24 years in the House and Senate, and was first elected in 1978. He was Senate Judiciary Committee chairman and president pro tempore when he left in 2002. He went on to serve on the Jones County Board of Supervisors. After retiring from a 35-year law practice, he ran for and was elected to the Iowa House in 2016. He was reelected in 2018, before being ousted by Bradley in 2020.
He played a key role in passing nonpartisan redistricting legislation and creating the state Resource Enhancement and Protection program for Iowa’s natural resources. He also helped develop and pass sentencing reform legislation, championed Iowa’s first elder abuse initiatives and led passage of legislation toughening penalties for drunken driving in the state.
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If elected, McKean said he would focus on prioritizing rural revitalization and restoring local control and decision-making authority for cities, counties and other institutions stripped away by Republican majorities. McKean said he would also focus on providing greater access to mental health services and affordable child care, continued sentencing reform, the promotion of ethanol, and improving educational quality.
Bradley, a dentist from Cascade, said he welcomes McKean as a challenger.
“Let him run. Free country,” Bradley told The Gazette. “We’ll let the voters decide. They decided once. They can decide again. This will be the third time. They see my track record and they see I stick with them. I’m a Republican and I stay a Republican. I’m conservative.”
House District 66 includes Jones County and the majority of Jackson County, excluding Maquoketa and the southwestern corner of the county.
"Many of these voters have already learned the hard way not to trust Andy McKean when he switched his party affiliation less than five months after being elected as a Republican,“ House Majority Fund Executive Director Reagan Bueller said in a statement. ”Since voters rejected McKean in 2020, they have come to know Steven Bradley as a strong, consistent representative that will fight to protect their freedom, values and economic interests in the Iowa House."
McKean said he remains the “same person I’ve always been, with the same priorities.”
“I believe my priorities will align with the vast majority of Democrats and many independents and Republicans as well,” he said.
To the last point, McKean said he feels the Iowa GOP is “no longer the Republican Party I knew. It’s become the MAGA party.”
He said many traditional conservatives feel the same.
“I think people will find a significant difference between my independent approach and my opponent’s extreme, hyperpartisan views and record,” McKean said. “Over my years in the Legislature, as both a Republican and now a Democrat, I’ve resisted partisan pressure and steered an independent course for the good of Iowa and the people and communities of my district. In contrast, my opponent toes the line set by his party leaders and special interests.”
Former Iowa GOP state lawmaker running again as a Democrat
Former Iowa Rep. Andy McKean of Anamosa, who made national headlines for switching parties in a rebuke of then-President Donald Trump, announced candidacy for an Iowa House seat.
www.thegazette.com
