Speaker Linda Upmeyer will not seek re-election in 2020 after 18 years in Iowa legislature

Speaker of the Iowa House Linda Upmeyer last week announced that her 18th year serving in the Iowa House of Representatives will be her last.

Upmeyer last Monday issued a release announcing she will not seek reelection in 2020 and will step down as Speaker of the House in late 2019.

In an interview with the Hampton Chronicle, Upmeyer said she opted to not seek reelection to have more time with family, including her children and grandchildren who live in Washington State.

“My husband and I have a conversation every two years if I’m going to run again. That’s usually after the first legislative session of the first year,” she said. “I concluded it’s time for me to start watching them (grandchildren) play (sports) and be able to travel out and visit them be-fore they get to college.”

Upmeyer was first elected to the Iowa House in 2002 and was chosen to serve as Speaker of the Iowa House in 2015. Upmeyer said her ven-ture into politics was inspired by her father, who served in the Iowa Legislature while she was a child. Between hearing his visits with constituents and helping on his campaign, Upmeyer said she quickly gained the desire to help fel-low Iowans in a leadership role.

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