Democratic State Senator Rob Hogg announced today,
I have formed an exploratory committee to consider becoming a candidate for the United States Senate in 2016. Like many Iowans, I believe we need Congress to work better for all of our citizens and our country’s future. If we had a Congress that worked better, we could:
> Build a vibrant, full-employment economy that works for all Americans.
> Improve public health and public safety through prevention, prevention, and more prevention.
> Strengthen Social Security and Medicare and fulfill our commitments to seniors, veterans, and people living with disabilities.
> Confront the challenge of our century – climate change – through solutions that work for our economy, our health, and our environment.
Hogg didn’t set a timetable for deciding on a U.S. Senate bid but said he will travel around Iowa in the coming weeks. His full press release and official bio are after the jump. His exploratory committee is on the web here. He’s on Twitter @SenatorRobHogg and on Facebook here.
Hogg was just re-elected to his third four-year term in the Iowa Senate last November, so he would not have to give up his legislative seat in order to run for U.S. Senate in 2016. Most recently, he has chaired the Iowa Senate Government Oversight Committee; before that, he chaired the Judiciary Committee. He is among the most outspoken Iowa lawmakers on climate change and other environmental issues.
Two Democrats have already announced plans to run against Grassley: former State Representative Bob Krause and former State Senator Tom Fiegen. They recently discussed their key issues with Mike Glover of the Iowa Daily Democrat. Krause and Fiegen also competed in the 2010 Democratic primary, which Roxanne Conlin won with about 77 percent of the vote.
UPDATE: Added below further comments from Hogg, via Iowa Starting Line.
July 8 press release:
HOGG FORMS EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE FOR POSSIBLE U.S. SENATE RUN
CEDAR RAPIDS – State Senator Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids) announced today that he has formed an exploratory committee to consider becoming a candidate for the United States Senate in 2016, the seat currently held by Senator Chuck Grassley. Here is the text of his announcement:
Today, I am announcing that I have formed an exploratory committee to consider becoming a candidate for the United States Senate in 2016. Like many Iowans, I believe we need Congress to work better for all of our citizens and our country’s future. If we had a Congress that worked better, we could:
> Build a vibrant, full-employment economy that works for all Americans.
> Improve public health and public safety through prevention, prevention, and more prevention.
> Strengthen Social Security and Medicare and fulfill our commitments to seniors, veterans, and people living with disabilities.
> Confront the challenge of our century – climate change – through solutions that work for our economy, our health, and our environment.In order to get Congress to work better, Iowans know it will require new leadership. Iowans also know it will require significant reform in the way we conduct our political campaigns.
Over the coming weeks, I look forward to visiting with Iowans across our state, to have a conversation about our Congress, our country, and our future, as I make a decision about running for the United States Senate.
Biographical information about Senator Hogg is provided below. For more information, please visit www.robhogg.org, email Senator Hogg at rob@mail.robhogg.org, write the Rob Hogg Exploratory Committee at P.O. Box 1361, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1361, or call the exploratory committee at (319) 360-3401.
Paid for by Rob Hogg Exploratory Committee
Biographical Information About State Senator Rob Hogg
Rob Hogg, age 48, is currently serving his third term in the Iowa Senate after two terms in the Iowa House. In 2006, he ran successfully for the Iowa Senate in 2006, replacing former Senator Chuck Larson (R-Cedar Rapids). He was re-elected in 2010 and 2014.
In the Iowa Senate, Senator Hogg is chair of the Senate Government Oversight Committee. His other committee assignments include education, judiciary, appropriations, and ways and means. Previously, he served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and as chair of the Senate Rebuild Iowa Committee after the devastating floods and tornadoes of 2008.
Senator Hogg has also served as co-chair of the Cedar River Watershed Coalition, a citizen-led initiative to prevent future flood damage and improve water quality that he helped found in 2010, and is the author of a 2013 book, America’s Climate Century: What Climate Change Means for America in the 21st Century and What Americans Can Do About It.
During his service in the Iowa Legislature, Senator Hogg has been honored with various awards including the following:
One Iowa, Sharon K. Malheiro Public Service Award, 2014
Iowa County Attorney Association, Iowa Justice Award, 2014
Iowa Fraternal Alliance, Legislator of the Year, 2013
Linn County Public Health, Public Health Champion, 2012
Iowa State Education Association, Friend of Education, 2011
Iowa Corrections Association, Outstanding Public Servant, 2010
Iowa Defense Counsel Association, Public Service Award, 2010
Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club, Public Service Award, 2007
Older Iowans Legislature, Legislator of the Year, 2005
Iowa Farmers Union, Friend of Family Farmers, 2004In addition to serving in the Iowa Legislature, Senator Hogg has worked as an attorney with the Cedar Rapids law firm of Elderkin & Pirnie, P.L.C., since 2000. He previously served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Michael J. Melloy, then Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa in Cedar Rapids (1998-99), and the Honorable Donald P. Lay, Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1995-96).
Rob is a fourth generation Iowan. Rob graduated from City High School in Iowa City (1985), the University of Iowa (B.A., history, 1988), and the University of Minnesota (M.A., public affairs, 1991; J.D., 1995). Rob and his wife, Kate, have three children, two in college and one in high school. They are members of Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids.
UPDATE: Hogg spoke to Iowa Starting Line’s Pat Rynard about his record:
“I think I’ve got a good record of working – without sacrificing any principles – with Republicans to get things done,” Hogg said, citing his work with the flood mitigation program, updating Iowa’s criminal transmission of HIV law and visitation rights for wards. “We need to be focused on results for the American people and not preparing for the next political campaign. Most of the people in Congress probably spend as much, if not more, time raising money and getting ready for their next campaign than they do actually working to pass legislation and get things done for the American people.”
One issue in particular that Hogg feels Congress has dropped the ball on is the wind energy production tax credit, which expired at the end of last year. “It took state policy – particularly led by Governor [Tom] Vilsack – to have Iowa become a wind economy leader,” Hogg says of the need for government to invest in clean energy. “I floor-managed the bill, got results on the solar energy tax credit at the state level. That has triggered over $50 million in solar investment in Iowa, over 1,200 projects, over 900 jobs in the solar energy industry.”