Reynolds resigns from Iowa Senate

Lieutenant Governor-elect Kim Reynolds of Osceola is a state senator, too, until today.  She’s just resigned, allowing outgoing Governor Chet Culver to set the date of a special election to fill her seat in the senate.  Reynolds could have held the post until January when she’s to be sworn in as lieutenant governor, but has decided against that scenario.

Reynolds resigns from state Senate seat

Lieutenant Governor-elect thanks constituents for opportunity, pledges to work hard as state’s new lieutenant governor
 
(URBANDALE) – Lt. Gov.-elect Kim Reynolds today resigned from her seat in the Iowa Senate in order to focus solely on assisting Gov. Branstad’s transition team.

Reynolds, who was first elected to Senate District 48 in 2008, thanked her constituents and pledged to work for them, and all of Iowa, in her new role as lieutenant governor.

“It has been a great honor to serve my constituents, and I thank them for the confidence they placed in me for the past two years,” said Reynolds. “I am excited for this new opportunity to serve as your lieutenant governor, and will work every day for the people of Iowa in my new role.”

Reynolds’s Senate district is Iowa’s largest geographically. It spans Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Montgomery, Ringgold, Taylor and Union counties.

A date for the seat’s special election will be set by Gov. Culver.

McKinley Comments on Kim Reynolds’ Senate Resignation

DES MOINES – Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) today issued the following statement regarding Lieutenant Governor-elect Kim Reynolds’ resignation from the Iowa Senate:

“This is a bittersweet moment because while I am excited about the tremendous leadership Kim Reynolds will provide all Iowans for the next four years as our next Lieutenant Governor, the Senate Republicans are losing an outstanding member who represented Southwest Iowa admirably for the past two years. 

I am extremely confident that Republicans will hold that seat and her replacement in the Senate will continue to be a champion of smaller and more efficient government, lower taxes and more private sector jobs.”