Exiting Iowa Senate race was right move, former GOP candidate says

A Cedar Rapids businesswoman and Republican nominee in a Linn County Senate race believes bowing out of the race to serve as a U.S. senator of the Republic of the United States of America and the Republic for Iowa was the right decision.

Randi Shannon, who was nominated to challenge Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Cedar Rapids, in Iowa Senate 34, has filed papers to have her name removed from the ballot because she is no longer interested in serving in the Iowa Legislature.

“I am glad I walked away from it,” Shannon said on the Fallon Forum, a talk show hosted by former Des Moines Democratic legislator Ed Fallon. “I'm disgusted with what's going on. I was looking for a change.”

Although she may have made an impact in the Iowa Senate, Shannon said she would be frustrated by the compromises she likely would have to make.

“Even if this in your eyes is not as great of an impact, for me, at least, I'll be able to sleep at night.”

For example, Shannon, 39, said she wanted to “make an impact on such as fighting and opposing all tax hikes.” and added.

“Basically, I was told by multiple people that you know that things I wanted to make an impact on … that I should just leave on the days of those votes,” Shannon said. “I didn't want any part of that because I believe this is a huge part of the problem.

“So to be told you should just leave on those days, be absent for those votes, that's not my idea of actually serving the people,” she said.

So instead, she will participate in the government of the Republic of the United States of America, which, according to its website, believes that America's original form of government, a collection of republics, was usurped in 1871 by a corporation called the United States Corporation.

Shannon was appointed senator by Iowa's four members of the Republic's House, according to George Templer, who explained the group doesn't believe in direct election of senators. The congressmen – all from Scott and Muscatine counties – were elected in July 2010 by about 50 people, Templer said.

Part of the appeal of serving in the Republic, Shannon said is the opportunity to work with “grassroots, regular folks” who are disgusted with government. She hopes to use her position to educate people “that we do have an option out there to what we have in place in currently or, at least, what everybody has been told we have in place.”

“We all grow up into this and you don't necessarily question it,” she said.

Now she's questioning it.

“It just makes sense. It's the lawful republic,” Shannon said.

Senate 34 includes Marion, Hiawatha, Robins and Linn County east of Cedar Rapids.