A Sioux City man who runs a media consulting firm has been picked as the Republican nominee for the special election next month for the vacated Iowa Senate District 1 position.
Christopher Prosch was selected in a special nominating convention by the Woodbury County Republican Party Executive Committee at a Tuesday evening position in Sioux City.
The party’s release said Prosch understands the challenges facing hardworking Iowans.
“We are confident that Christopher will be a strong advocate for economic growth in our State because he understands the negative impact government overreach and overregulation has had on our economy,” the release said.
Prosch is married and has two children,
Another Republican who was considered by delegates, but did not win, was Dan Bittinger, who is chairman of the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors.
The special election will be on August 26. That is needed because of the late June death of state senator Rocky DeWitt, a Republican of Lawton, at age 66.
The Woodbury County Democratic Party nominating convention will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the downtown Sioux City Public Library, then the ballot will be set for next month.
*A decision is coming at the end of the month on whether new University of Northern Iowa students from the six states bordering Iowa would pay the same in-state tuition rate as Iowa residents.
Back in May, UNI President Mark Nook told Siouxland Public Media News that proposal would soon be going to the Iowa Board of Regents for a final decision.
It is a potential way to get the college enrollment more towards the 12,000 figure that had been the norm had been for decades, before declining the last few years below 10,000.
What is called the UNI’s Neighboring State Rate could help students from Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin access affordable education.
Anticipated tuition and fees for in-state students and new students from the six states bordering Iowa will be $10,200 for the 2025-26 academic year.
In a Tuesday release, Nook said families taking advantage of UNI’s Neighboring State Rate will save over $12,000 annually compared to paying traditional non-resident tuition.
