Kajtazovic Officially Announces Run for Congress

Iowa State Rep. Anesa Kajtazovic of Waterloo has officially announced she will seek a spot in Congress.

The 26-year-old Democrat will run for Iowa's First District seat in the House of Representatives. 

The seat is currently held by Bruce Braley, who is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Tom Harkin in 2014.

Kajtazovic is the youngest person ever to serve in the Iowa House. The Democrat has represented Waterloo for two terms. She serves on committees including House Commerce, Appropriations, State Government and Veteran Affairs Committees and the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee.

The First District includes 20 counties in north east Iowa; Allamakee, Black Hawk, Benton, Bremer, Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Howard, Iowa, Jackson, Jones, Linn, Marshall, Mitchell, Poweshiek, Tama, Winneshiek, and Worth counties.   

The current field of candidates is already crowded. Current Democrat contenders for the seat are former speaker of the Iowa House Pat Murphy of Dubuque, Marion Democrat Swati Dandekar, Cedar Rapids Democrat Dave O’Brien and Cedar Rapids city council member Monica Vernon. Republicans Rod Blum of Dubuque and Steve Rathje of Cedar Rapids are also running.