Washington mayor to seek Iowa House 92 seat

In the wake of State Rep. Jarad Klein’s decision not to seek re-election, Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien announced Thursday that he would throw his hat in the ring to represent House District 92.

“I’ve been interested for a while, and it’s part of my makeup to also wait,” Rosien said. “I never intended to run against Rep. Klein. With his announcement of retirement, it is a segue to announcing my running for the new district.”

Rosien plans to run as a Republican for the newly drawn House District 92, an area that contains all of Washington County and southeastern parts of Johnson County, including the cities of Hills and Lone Tree.

The Thursday afternoon announcement touted the city of Washington’s success in infrastructure projects while maintaining a flat tax levy during his tenure.

“Fiscal responsibility is a priority, personally, professionally, and politically,” he said in the news release. “There is a lot of important work that has to be done, and an objective and reasonable approach to spending is a focus I will maintain.”

In an interview, Rosien said he was committed to solution-focused politics.

“A priority is to continue how I do work here in the city of Washington, to be objective, to be calm, and to be solution-oriented,” he said. “I’m sure I will face a learning curve at the state house and challenges, but what I bring to the table for solving problems will continue to be an asset.”

Rosien said his experience in local politics and as a small-business owner prepared him for the role.

“I’ve learned those hard lessons, I believe that even when it’s not what someone wants to hear as an answer to a question they have, I still am honest and up front with what that answer is,” he said. “Every job I’ve had in the last 20 years boils down to problem solving, in my opinion. I believe I’m a good problem solver, and I’m confident I can take those skills to the State Capitol.”

Though his home and political history lie in the city of Washington, Rosien promised to represent all constituent communities in a campaign announcement news release.

“When any town in our county or our surrounding counties win, we all win,” he said. “I believe many of our obstacles are shared and similarly we can share in common solutions to our problems.”

If elected, Rosien said he would step down as mayor of Washington.

“The reason I ran for mayor again this last year was to see the city through the transition of a new administrator and to put those needs front and center and to maintain a strong footing for the city of Washington,” he said. “If elected to the House of Representatives, I would resign as the mayor of Washington. Before reaching that point, a plan would be made, it won’t be just a cut and run type of situation.”

While the announcement of his intent to run is only a first step, Rosien said he was ready for the campaign trail ahead.

“There’s an affidavit of candidacy that will be filed and signatures from constituents that support the candidacy, that is the next step in order to put my name on the ballot,” he said. “Running for office isn’t my favorite part of the job. I love doing the work, I love serving, running for office is part of the package … it’s a necessary part.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com