McKean announces run for Dist. 66

     Andy McKean, a Democrat from Anamosa, has announced his plans to run against Rep. Steve Bradley, a Republican from Cascade, in the Iowa House District 66 race in November 2024.

   McKean served in both the Iowa House and Senate from 1979 to 2003. He was then elected to the Jones County Board of Supervisors, serving from 2003 to 2011.

   In 2016, McKean returned to the Iowa House. In 2020, Bradley defeated McKean in House District 58.

   House District 66 includes all of Jones County and a portion of Jackson County, including the City of Bellevue (but excluding the City of Maquoketa. It also includes the Jones County portion of the City of Cascade.

   “It was a difficult decision,” admitted McKean of running for public office again.

   While he and wife Connie, of 40 years, have been enjoying their retirement and spending more time with family, McKean said it became increasing hard to just sit back and not do something.

   “Both Connie and I feel that these are very important times for our state. Quite frankly, I felt it would be more difficult just to sit by and be concerned as opposed to trying to do something about it.”

   Why is now the right time to get back in the race?

   “Like most Iowans,” shared McKean, “I’m very concerned by the increasing extremism and partisanship that I’m seeing. I think most Iowans really want to get away from the extremes and start finding a consensus to solving our problems that bring people together as opposed to separating them.”

   When McKean last ran in 2020, he said the pandemic limited opportunities to campaign.

   “There was limited opportunity for the personal campaigning that I like to do. There were virtually no opportunities for debates.”

     He sees things differently this time around.

     “I want this to be an issue-oriented campaign where we have debates,” he pressed. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that we do so that people can actually see the difference between my independent approach and, in my opinion, my opponent’s very extreme and hyper-partisan approach to our problems.”

     McKean said the Iowa Legislature does seem to want to work together when it comes to reaching across the aisle to compromise and work on solving the issues.

     “It's partially a function of one-party control.”

     During McKean’s years in Des Moines, he’s served under both Republican and Democratic control, as well split control.

     “The best legislation I saw was when there was a balance and people were forced to listen to each other’s points of view. Both sides have something to offer. It’s a shame that we bounce from one extreme to the other instead of trying to find ways to work together constructively.”

     During McKean’s first terms in office, he served as a Republican. In 2019, he announced a change in party and switched to Democrat due to the actions of then-President Donald Trump.

     “If anybody has looked at my record over the years, as both a Republican and as a Democrat, I’ve tried to steer clear of partisan pressure and do what I thought was best for the folks I represented,” offered McKean. “I would certainly still do that if I had the opportunity of returning.”

     Since sending out fundraising letters to officially announcing his candidacy, McKean has had nothing but a positive response.

     “People seem very thankful that we’ll be able to hear another point of view in this election. I get the impression from voters that there are more and more people who think things are going a little far in one direction. They want to see it pull back. I’m not surprised by that response.”

     McKean is not afraid to admit that her former party, one that used to stand for local control, tough on communism, and boost natural resources, if no longer.

     “I feel that I’m still, in many ways, an old-fashioned Republican,” he said. “But the Republican Party left me more than I left it.”

     In fact, one of his main issues while on the campaign trail is pursuing local control versus centralized, state control.

     “It’s an issue I’ve always believed in whether I’m a Republican or a Democrat. The best government is a government closest to home.”

     Another concern of McKean’s is protecting and adequately funding Iowa’s natural resources.

     “We’ve seen our natural resources budget slashed by almost half, if not more so. A lot of these quality-of-life issues like protecting our natural resources and providing recreational opportunities for our young people are so important in trying to keep our young people and attract more young people and young families to our state.”

     McKean describes himself as a frugal person, but he also understands when money needs to be spent for the right reasons. One prime example is education in Iowa.

     The state used to be top third in terms of educational rankings nationwide. Now, Iowa is in the middle.

     “We need to be frugal; we need to keep a balanced budget,” he said. “But we need to be willing to recognize needs and address them.”

     If elected District 66 representative, McKean’s other priorities include rural revitalization, restoring local control, greater access to mental health services, affordable childcare, continued sentencing reform, and promoting ethanol.

     Some of McKean’s past accomplishments in the Iowa Legislature include: Senate President Pro Tem, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, chair of the House Ethics Committee, creating REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection), developing and passing sentencing reform legislation, and championing Iowa’s first elder abuse initiatives. McKean also played a key role in passing non-partisan redistricting legislation.

     “One of my proudest accomplishments is successfully floor-managing one of the country’s toughest drunk driving laws,” he added.

     This effort earned McKean recognition at the national Legislator of the Year by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).

     Aside from his years in office, McKean practiced law in Jones County for 35 years. His community service has extended to volunteering as a church trustee, chairing Anamosa’s Main Street program, providing musical entertainment at local nursing homes, and substitute teaching at many districts in the county.