Bob Krause (politician)
Encyclopedia
Robert A. Krause was a candidate for United States Senate
from Iowa
in the 2010 United States Senate election in Iowa
. He lost the Democratic
party primaty to Roxanne Conlin who later lost in the Senate election against Charles Grassley. He is a member of the Democratic
party.
He was first elected to the Iowa General Assembly
in 1972. He is a past Chair of the Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus.
Raised on a family farm
in rural northwest Iowa, Krause graduated in 1968 from Sentral Community School District of Fenton, Iowa
. He was active in 4-H
, athletics and editor
of the student newspaper
. He was elected as a state senator at the American Legion
's Boy's State program at Camp Dodge
.
Krause worked his way through college at the University of Iowa
. Graduating in 1972 with a B.A. degree in political science
, he was a member of ROTC, student senate and president of University Democrats and, during summer breaks, worked as a construction laborer. He also devoted two summers for the Robert D. Fulton
for Governor campaign and worked for the Iowa Democratic Party
.
Krause ran for state representative, winning election and being sworn in soon after his 22nd birthday. He was also commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the Army Reserve
and served six years in the Iowa House of Representatives
.
Krause's was appointed as Assistant House Minority Whip in his first term. In this capacity, he helped pass Iowa's collective bargaining bill.
As Chair of the House Transportation Committee for four years, he was assisted in the passage of legislation that allowed for the establishment of the coordinated regional transit systems throughout Iowa, which became a national model of the Federal Transit Administration. He also crafted a restructuring of Iowa's road system that included Iowa's first ethanol
exemption when passed, which became the basis for Iowa's ethanol industry. Because of these efforts and others, the Des Moines Register
in 1978 honored him as one of the "Top 10 Most Effective Iowa Legislators."
Krause left the House that year to run for Treasurer
of the State of Iowa, losing the election. After a brief stint for Land O'Lakes
as transportation manager for the Agricultural Services Group, Bob left to become Regional Representative for the Secretary of Transportation in 1979. In this capacity, he was ranking department official for Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska, and he was administration spokesperson in the field for federal policy.
After the Carter administration, Krause taught in the business school at Iowa State University
then joined the staff of the Council of State Governments
, the national association for state government officials. There he ran a think-tank on transportation policy, writing five books and staffing several national policy task forces on transportation matters. He left that position for an intergovernmental affairs position with Palm Beach County, Fla., subsequently returning to Iowa.
Krause then served as transit director for the Iowa Northland Council of Governments before joining the Iowa Department of Transportation in 1986. He served as a district planner then served as planning and coordination manager for the Public Transit Division. He also managed Iowa's Rural and Large Urban Public Transit Intelligent Transportation System. He retired in 2008 from the Iowa DOT with 20 years of state government service.
Krause was recognized for his public service by having a locomotive named "Robert A. Krause" by the Rock Island Railroad in honor of his work on transportation issues. He was honored for his efforts on railroad deregulation and served on the Iowa Interstate Cooperation Commission during the Carter administration.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
in the 2010 United States Senate election in Iowa
United States Senate election in Iowa, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in Iowa took place on November 2, 2010, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections in Iowa. The party primary elections were...
. He lost the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
party primaty to Roxanne Conlin who later lost in the Senate election against Charles Grassley. He is a member of the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
party.
He was first elected to the Iowa General Assembly
Iowa General Assembly
The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively...
in 1972. He is a past Chair of the Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus.
Raised on a family farm
Family farm
A family farm is a farm owned and operated by a family, and often passed down from generation to generation. It is the basic unit of the mostly agricultural economy of much of human history and continues to be so in developing nations...
in rural northwest Iowa, Krause graduated in 1968 from Sentral Community School District of Fenton, Iowa
Fenton, Iowa
Fenton is a city in Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 317 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was named after former New York State governor and senator Reuben E. Fenton, although today nobody knows why.-Geography:...
. He was active in 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
, athletics and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the student newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
. He was elected as a state senator at the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
's Boy's State program at Camp Dodge
Camp Dodge
Camp Dodge is a military installation in the city of Johnston, Iowa. Centrally located near the capitol of Iowa, it currently serves as the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard. Original construction of the post began in 1907, to provide a place for the National Guard units to train...
.
Krause worked his way through college at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. Graduating in 1972 with a B.A. degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, he was a member of ROTC, student senate and president of University Democrats and, during summer breaks, worked as a construction laborer. He also devoted two summers for the Robert D. Fulton
Robert D. Fulton
Robert David Fulton briefly served as the 37th Governor of Iowa during the first 16 days of 1969.-Biography:Fulton was born in Waterloo, Iowa. A Democrat, he served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1958 to 1960, followed by a term as a member of the Iowa Senate from 1962 to...
for Governor campaign and worked for the Iowa Democratic Party
Iowa Democratic Party
The Iowa Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of Iowa.-Current elected officials:Iowa Democrats are in control of the Iowa Senate, one of the state's United States Senate seats, and three out of the state's five United States House of Representatives seats. ...
.
Krause ran for state representative, winning election and being sworn in soon after his 22nd birthday. He was also commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
and served six years in the Iowa House of Representatives
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency...
.
Krause's was appointed as Assistant House Minority Whip in his first term. In this capacity, he helped pass Iowa's collective bargaining bill.
As Chair of the House Transportation Committee for four years, he was assisted in the passage of legislation that allowed for the establishment of the coordinated regional transit systems throughout Iowa, which became a national model of the Federal Transit Administration. He also crafted a restructuring of Iowa's road system that included Iowa's first ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
exemption when passed, which became the basis for Iowa's ethanol industry. Because of these efforts and others, the Des Moines Register
Des Moines Register
The Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
in 1978 honored him as one of the "Top 10 Most Effective Iowa Legislators."
Krause left the House that year to run for Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the State of Iowa, losing the election. After a brief stint for Land O'Lakes
Land O'Lakes
Land O'Lakes is a member-owned agricultural cooperative based in Arden Hills, Minnesota, focusing on the dairy industry. The co-op states that it has about 3200 producer-members, 1000 member-cooperatives, and about 9000 employees who process and distribute products for about 300,000 agricultural...
as transportation manager for the Agricultural Services Group, Bob left to become Regional Representative for the Secretary of Transportation in 1979. In this capacity, he was ranking department official for Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska, and he was administration spokesperson in the field for federal policy.
After the Carter administration, Krause taught in the business school at Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
then joined the staff of the Council of State Governments
Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments is a nonpartisan non-profit organization in the United States serving the state governments. It serves state legislatures, state courts, and executive branch officials and agencies, and is the only multi-branch organization of state governments in the United...
, the national association for state government officials. There he ran a think-tank on transportation policy, writing five books and staffing several national policy task forces on transportation matters. He left that position for an intergovernmental affairs position with Palm Beach County, Fla., subsequently returning to Iowa.
Krause then served as transit director for the Iowa Northland Council of Governments before joining the Iowa Department of Transportation in 1986. He served as a district planner then served as planning and coordination manager for the Public Transit Division. He also managed Iowa's Rural and Large Urban Public Transit Intelligent Transportation System. He retired in 2008 from the Iowa DOT with 20 years of state government service.
Krause was recognized for his public service by having a locomotive named "Robert A. Krause" by the Rock Island Railroad in honor of his work on transportation issues. He was honored for his efforts on railroad deregulation and served on the Iowa Interstate Cooperation Commission during the Carter administration.
External links
- Krause For Iowa's Future official campaign website
- Bob Krause news coverage from The Iowa Independent
- Hansen: Grassley opponents think time is right Marc Hansen, Des Moines RegisterDes Moines RegisterThe Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
, August 16, 2009 - Bob Krause: Predicts that his "grand compromise" proposal will be included in House bill for health care IowaPolitics.com, July 23, 2009