Joe Mitchell proud of legislative accomplishments, looks forward to other opportunities

Iowa House Rep. Joe Mitchell said Thursday morning that he is proud of his legislative accomplishments and looks forward to new opportunities.

Mitchell was speaking for the first time since his primary election loss to Jeff Shipley Tuesday in the Iowa House District 87 race to represent the Republican Party in November.

Mitchell hails from Wayland and attended WACO schools. He was elected to represent Iowa House District 84 in 2018 when he was just 21 years old, making him the youngest person ever elected to the Iowa House of Representatives.

Mitchell made his home in Mt. Pleasant. In 2021, the Iowa Legislature redrew the House and Senate districts, putting Mitchell in the same district as Iowa Rep. Jeff Shipley of Birmingham in Van Buren County. In Tuesday’s primary election for the newly redrawn House District 87, Mitchell lost to Shipley 1,605 votes to Mitchell’s 1,319.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to my family, friends, volunteers, and supporters,” Mitchell said. “I am proud of what we have gotten done in the Iowa Legislature since I took office in 2019. We have cut taxes, stood up for law enforcement, and fought for the unborn.”

Mitchell said that, even though he came up short, he was glad that he ran a positive campaign focused on results for Iowans.

“It was an honor to have been given the opportunity to connect with Iowans over the past several months and speak about the issues that have been most concerning to them,” Mitchell said. “Listening and responding to the people in the primary job of any candidate and I believe my campaign made that a top priority.”

Mitchell said he’s excited for what the future holds for him.

“I fundamentally believe that as one door closes, another opens and I look forward to what God has planned next,” he said.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com