Ty Bopp back on campaign trail

RIVERSIDE — Iowa House District 92 candidate Ty Bopp, the lone Democrat registered for the primaries in June, said he planned to put his name back in the running for the state legislative position.

“I had planned to step back from the trail to focus on school and everything,” Bopp said. “When I submitted the paper, both Johnson and Washington County auditors said, ‘It’s past the deadline, so you’re in it,’ and with me being unopposed in the primary, unless there’s some write-in I don’t know of, I’m technically in the general, so I might as well go for it.”

If elected, Bopp said he would put his pursuit of a master’s degree on hold.

“I don’t think I could do the spring semester and work in the general assembly at the same time,” he said. “If you’re in the assembly, I feel like that should take main priority.”

The move prompted confusion from party organizers, who said Bopp had not informed them.

“The information I had, as of Friday, was that the Johnson County Auditor had something in writing, that he spoke with him and he’s withdrawn from the race, so we’ll have to sort it out,” Washington County Democrats recruiter Terry Philips said.

Philips said despite Bopp missing the deadline, his formal withdrawal meant his place in the general election was not guaranteed, regardless of how many votes he gets in the primary.

“From my experience in the past, once he withdrew, then that threw it back to the delegates,” he said. “Those delegates would listen to the candidates that were interested in running and then make a choice.

“That’s happened before when we haven’t had anyone that was in the primary … it’s a similar kind of situation now, since he actually, formally, withdrew.”

In the meantime, that search for other candidates has been slow.

“Since it doesn’t make any difference for the primary, people haven’t been actively engaged in committing,” Philips said. “It’s difficult for them to say an absolute yes when they can see they’ve got a window here.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com