Two current Iowa lawmakers are running for re-election next year, albeit in different districts.

Reps. Megan Jones, R-Sioux Rapids, and Dennis Bush, R-Cleghorn, announced last week they would seek re-election in 2022. Jones currently represents Iowa House District 2 while Bush represents House District 3; however, both will be in different territories when the new redistricting maps take effect next year.

Jones will be in House District 6 while Bush will reside in House District 13. Rep. Gary Worthan, R-Storm Lake, was also placed in District 6 by the new maps, but he is not seeking another term.

"It is an honor representing the residents of House District 2, but I am looking forward for this transition," Jones said in a news release. "I continue to push for smaller government and smarter spending. Iowans work hard for the tax dollars they submit to the state. We need to get the best bang for our buck – which means innovative policy, strong oversight and asking tough questions."

Bush's bid for re-election will not be in District 13 – he plans to move off his farm in rural Cherokee County soon and into the City of Cherokee. Doing so will allow him to continue representing District 3 for the remainder of his term while also placing him in District 5 when the maps change.

Bush said his move was prompted by an upcoming shoulder replacement surgery in December, which will severely restrict the amount of weight he can lift.

"My wife and I have always known that there would come a time in our lives when we would be unable to safely winter at the farm, which has been our home for the last 45 years," he said in a news release. "That time has seemed to come much earlier than I would have liked because of the lifting restrictions with shoulder replacements."

House District 5 includes all of Osceola and O'Brien counties as well as parts of Cherokee and Buena Vista counties. No sitting state representatives currently reside within its boundaries.

Bush, a former Cherokee County supervisor, is in his first term in the Iowa House. He ran unopposed during the 2020 election; however, he had to win a three-way primary race to secure the Republican Party's nomination. He defeated former Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Superintendent Lynn Evans, of Aurelia, and Mark McHugh, of Sheldon, with 42 percent of the vote.

"Much of this past year was spent getting acclimated in the Legislature," said Bush. "There are issues that I want to work on and I want to continue to be a strong voice for agriculture and for mental health."

Rep. Megan Jones

Bush's current territory in District 3 includes all of O'Brien and Cherokee counties as well as parts of Plymouth and Sioux counties. Jones' territory in District 2 includes all of Clay and Palo Alto counties as well as parts of Dickinson County.