Cedar Rapids teacher Breanna Oxley announces run for Rob Hogg’s state Senate seat

CEDAR RAPIDS — A social studies teacher announced Tuesday she’s running for the Iowa Senate in 2022, a day after the longtime incumbent announced he’ll step down.

Democrat Breanna Oxley, 30, a teacher at Roosevelt Middle School in Cedar Rapids, announced her candidacy for District 33, the seat now held by Democratic Sen. Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids.

In addition to a nearly decadelong career in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque school districts, Oxley is active in a variety of Cedar Rapids leadership roles. She has a history degree from Loras College and a master’s degree in teaching from Morningside College.

“I see Iowa’s future in the eyes of my students,” Oxley said in a statement. “I’m committed to helping them attain a bright future.”

She is the granddaughter of Jean Oxley, the first woman elected as a Linn County supervisor who became the longest-serving member of the board. Linn County’s administrative building — the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center — was named in her honor in 2010.

Oxley has received endorsements from Swati Dandekar, a former state legislator and former Iowa Utilities Board member, and the Ironworkers Local 89 union in Cedar Rapids.

If elected, Oxley said her goal as a legislator would be to help establish “a diverse and modern, tech-savvy workforce” in Iowa by strengthening Iowa’s K-12 schools and higher education institutions; improving accessibility to affordable health care; and supporting local businesses.

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