Patel drops out of 1st District Democratic race

CEDAR RAPIDS - Businessman Ravi Patel plans to continue his push for progressive political ideas, but not his campaign for Congress.

Patel, who entered the race for the Democratic nomination in Iowa's 1st District in February, announced his withdrawal from the race Tuesday, citing the importance of 'returning to leadership within the private sector.”

'For me, running for Congress was a great chance to tell my story, to inspire people and to advocate for the change we need,” Patel, 29, said in a statement on his campaign website.

However, the battle for the nomination to face first-term GOP Rep. Rod Blum of Dubuque 'would have diverted energy and resources that should be directed at changing the course of our nation,” he said.

'Such a battle would not be good for the district, for the Party, or for the nominee.”

Patel, 29, an Arkansas native who grew up in Burlington and Iowa City, is president of Hawkeye Hotels. He is also the co-founder and managing partner of Built By Iowa, a business accelerator that supports Iowa-based start-ups.

The 1st District contest is now a two-way race between Gary Kroeger, a Cedar Falls advertising executive, and Cedar Rapids City Councilwoman and former business owner Monica Vernon.

Vernon called Patel a 'formidable opponent” and applauded him on a well-run campaign.

'Ravi's leadership from the private sector and his encouragement to get more people involved on a grass roots level will make our party stronger,” Vernon said in a statement.

Kroeger called him a 'thoughtful, progressive young leader … (who) has only begun to leave his fingerprint on the state of Iowa.”

He's also looking forward to working with Patel to achieve 'our shared vision of a more progressive state,” Kroeger said.

Patel's decision came as a surprise to Tavis Hall of the Kroeger campaign 'especially because of his strong fundraising numbers.” Patel raised $539,658 compared to $300,513, including $110,000 of her own money, Vernon reported. Kroeger has not yet had to report.

In announcing his decision, Patel said he had come to realize that his most significant impact my most significant impact would be in the private sector 'through job creation, entrepreneurial development and community mentorship.”

'Given the realities of our political system today, I also came to realize that my personal and professional strengths are best suited for impact through the private sector,” he said.

Patel plans to refund his campaign contribution in full and plans to remain active in political life.

'I'm not finished with political activism,” Patel said. 'Through hard work, I've been successful in business, and I am looking forward to serving the public good as a citizen and activist.”