Prichard announces he won’t seek re-election

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Charles City Democrat Rep. Todd Prichard announced on Tuesday that his 10th session in the Iowa House will be his last.

“I will not be running again for re-election this fall,” Prichard announced on social media Tuesday morning. “It has been a great ride and I thank all of the people who supported my political career over the years.”

Prichard is serving his fifth term in the House after first winning the seat in a special election in January 2013 to replace Brian Quirk, who had resigned the seat to become general manager of the New Hampton Municipal Light Plant.

Besides being a legislator, Prichard is an attorney in Charles City and a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves. He has been deployed four times, including a tour in Iraq.

Prichard said Wednesday that he is “extremely busy” with the Army Reserves, as “every other weekend I have to travel.” He also said his business is growing and he’d like to spend more time with his family.

“I’ve been at it for 10 years, that’s kind of a long life in the Legislature,” he said. “I’m not a big believer in lifetime appointments.”

In June, he announced he was stepping down as the Iowa House Minority Leader after three legislative sessions in the position. Prichard was elected to lead the Iowa House Democrats after winning reelection in 2018.

Prichard was one of several Democrats to campaign for a nomination for Iowa governor in 2018, although he dropped out of the race after several months.

Prichard currently represents Iowa House District 52, covering Floyd, Chickasaw and part of Cerro Gordo county. The 2022 legislative session kicked off this week in Des Moines.

The new legislative map adjusts the region to the new House District 56 next election, which would include all of Howard and Chickasaw counties, and the southern two-thirds of Floyd County, including the cities of Charles City, New Hampton and Cresco. Those changes also played a part in Prichard’s decision.

“The time is right,” Prichard said Wednesday. “The district has changed dramatically, and has expanded to some areas I’m not familiar with.”

Prichard said that while he may be leaving the state Legislature after this session, he intends to continue to serve in other capacities.

“Service is in my DNA,” he said. “What that will be, I don’t yet know, but know I care too much about my state to not be a part of moving it forward.”

He left the door open for possible public service in the future, whether that’s running for a different elected position or seeking an appointment.

“I’ll run for office again, or I’ll do something,” Prichard said. “I feel like I should be a part of the conversation, and I want to be involved.”

Prichard said that there were “too many people to name” when it came to thanking his supporters over the last 10 years.

“I particularly thank my wife, Ann Prichard, and our children who too often made due with me away for legislative business,” he said. “Thanks to everyone, friend and adversary alike. I truly have enjoyed the conversation of shaping our state. May the conversation always continue.”

He called his 10 years in the House “rewarding,” and said it’s taught him that patience is a virtue.

“It’s easy to get frustrated with the political process, but that’s kind of by design in some ways,” Prichard said. “We shouldn’t be able to change policy and law just on a whim.”

Prichard said he was concerned about the increased partisanship he’s seen in Des Moines, much more so than when he first started.

“We’ve got to be able to work across the aisle,” he said. “At some point we’re going to have to get back to putting country over party, and right now, that’s just not where political dialogue is.”

He also said that he was worried about public apathy.

“In the last few years, we’ve seen a lack of transparency and a lack of public engagement, and that’s dangerous,” Prichard said. “People need to be aware and informed as to what’s going on, and keep an eye on government.”

Prichard said his priorities in his final session will be the same as they’ve always been.

“I’m still very focused on rural Iowa, and making sure that the things that are important to small towns like Charles City and New Hampton are served,” Prichard said. “That includes making sure we have the resources we need for education, business development and infrastructure.”

One specific priority is to increase and improve broadband access in small towns and rural areas in Iowa.

“As a small businessman, I’m really disappointed with the small growth of broadband in Charles City,” Prichard said. “That’s a big deal for people in business and it needs to be a higher priority.”

He said he’s also interested in getting some help to improve Iowa’s correctional system.

“We had two murders last year inside one of our penitentiaries in Anamosa,” Prichard said. “There’s been some lip service but nothing substantive to address what I see as a systemic problem in the correctional system as far as safety of correctional officers and others who work in our prisons.”