Democrats elect Prichard as Iowa House minority leader

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Iowa House Democrats have chosen Rep. Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, to lead their party in the 2019 legislative session.

Prichard was elected Iowa House minority leader when the House Democratic caucus met Saturday in Des Moines.

“This is not something I was expecting,” Prichard said Saturday.  “I was really honored and humbled to be the consensus choice at the caucus.”

Prichard was chosen to replace Mark Smith of Marshalltown, who told colleagues after the recent general election that he was stepping down after five years at the position.

Prichard represents Iowa House District 52, which consists of Floyd, Chickasaw and the eastern third of Cerro Gordo counties. He was unopposed in the 2018 election, and will start his fourth term in the Iowa House when the next legislative session begins in January.

As minority leader, Prichard will be the chief spokesperson for the party on issues, and will assign Democratic members to committees. He will also be the political leader for the House Democrats.

“It’s my responsibility to try to pick up seats in the election and get into the majority,” said Prichard, who added that his chief concerns come January will be Medicaid privatization, mental health and education.

“We’ve taken steps backwards in all three of those areas,” he said.

Prichard said he wants to find common ground with Republicans.

“I want to work across the aisle and find ways to advance,” he said. “The Democrats are willing to do that.

“I think one thing that was clear from this election cycle is the state, and the country, are tired of divisive politics,” he said. “Voters want to elect people who are going to lead and do the right thing by the state and the country, not necessarily by some political party agenda. We’re going to be looking for ways to move Iowa forward.”

Prichard, 44, was first elected in a January 2013 special election to fill the seat vacated by Brian Quirk of New Hampton. He gained statewide attention earlier this year when he briefly sought the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nomination.

“I think having that experience of running for governor and learning about the state as I traveled helped,” Prichard said.

Although House Democrats narrowed the Republican majority from 59-41 to 54-46 in the 2018 election by flipping seats in and around Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, there are few rural or small-town Democrats in the caucus. Many believe that having a small-town Democrat like Prichard lead the caucus will be helpful in winning the House majority in 2020.

“As Democrats, we need to be able to reach across to voters in areas both urban and rural,” Prichard said. “I think a lot of people view me as somebody who can represent us across the state.”

There is a possibility the Democrats could pick up another seat in the election in a race that is currently being recounted.

Also at the caucus Saturday, Rep. Jo Oldson of Des Moines was elected Democratic whip. Reps. Wes Breckenridge of Newton, John Forbes of Urbandale, Brian Meyer of Des Moines and Sharon Steckman of Mason City were elected assistant minority leaders.

Senate Democrats had already re-elected Des Moines Sen. Janet Petersen to serve as their leader, and kept Mason City Sen. Amanda Ragan as minority whip.

Prichard has served on the Agriculture, Judiciary, State Government, Veterans Affairs, and Ways and Means committees and was previously a house minority assistant leader. As minority leader, Prichard will no longer sit on any committees, beyond administrative committees.

Should the Democrats take back the House majority in 2020, as minority leader Prichard would be a top candidate to be named Iowa speaker of the House.

“That’s too far down the road to give that much thought,” Prichard said.  “I have a long two years ahead of me before we get there. I’m not playing chess that many moves ahead.”

Prichard, a Davenport native, owns Prichard Law Office in Charles City. He has practiced law in the community since 2004, upon his graduation from the University of Iowa law school, and is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. He and his wife, Ann, live in Charles City and have three children.