Kayla Koether Announces 2020 Run for State House

Democrat Kayla Koether, who ran for the Iowa House of Representatives two years ago, Wednesday announced she will run again for Iowa House District 55. Koether fell nine votes short of beating Republican Michael Bergan in 2018, but the Iowa Legislature denied her request to count 29 absentee ballots which were not opened because of questions about whether they arrived in time.

In a news release announcing her candidacy, Koether said, "Unfortunately, little has changed for Northeast Iowans in the past two years--we continue to struggle to keep farmers on our rural landscape, fill storefronts in our downtowns and find accessible, affordable healthcare."  She said Iowa has fallen well behind in its commitment to education and childcare, which stunts the area's economic potential and the futures of its young people.

Koether grew up on the family farm near McGregor, went to school at Grinnell College, and worked as an AmeriCorps educator for Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative after college. After taking a position in program management for Winneshiek Energy District, she is currently a specialist at the ISU Extension Office in Decorah, providing technical assistance to businesses and beginning farmers on best practices, sustainability, production, marketing and innovation.

For more information, visit www.kaylaforiowa.com.