Gov. Kim Reynolds says new lieutenant governor pick will wait until after general election

Freshly returned from a 10-day trade mission to India, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday she won't decide on appointing a new lieutenant governor until after the Nov. 5 general election.

Reynolds told reporters at a news conference at the Capitol Wednesday afternoon that she is gathering names of people in consideration to succeed Adam Gregg, who abruptly resigned last month to become president and CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association.

"I found out right before I left to go on the trade mission," Reynolds said. "I didn't have a lot of advance notice. And so we just got back from that. We're catching up from that … and that's not that far away."

Reynolds previously told reporters Gregg informed her Aug. 30 of his plans to step aside from the role. His resignation took effect Sept. 3.

Reynolds appointed Gregg as lieutenant governor after she assumed the governorship in 2017. He was elected as her running mate in 2018 and 2022.

Under Iowa law, the governor has the power to appoint a new lieutenant governor to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. Gregg received a base salary of just over $103,000 last year.

"We're putting the process together and doing what we need to be doing, and then hopefully make that final decision after the election," Reynolds said. "We want to get it right for not only for the team, but for Iowans, and so I want to be very thoughtful."

She said the selection process for a new lieutenant governor will involve interviews with people she thinks "might be a good partner."

In those conversations, Reynolds said she would like to know: "What are some of their visions for moving the state forward and what are some of the areas they're interested in working on? What are they passionate about? How does that fit into what we're working on?"

Senate President Amy Sinclair, an Allerton Republican, is next in Iowa's line of succession until Reynolds appoints a new lieutenant governor.

Gregg, of Hawarden, is an attorney who served as Iowa's state public defender before he was appointed lieutenant governor in 2017. He ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in 2014.

In a statement announcing his resignation, Gregg said he was resigning to focus more on his family.

"My kids are growing up too fast, and statewide elected offices force me to miss more of their lives than I can accept," Gregg said. "While difficult, the decision to resign from this role allows me to honor my most important commitment ― my family."

Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa's next lieutenant governor will be picked after Nov. 5 election