DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines business owner Dudley Muhammad announced his campaign to represent Iowa House District 34 on Monday.
The campaign bid comes over a month after current Democratic Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad announced his retirement at the end of this year's legislative session.
"I will represent the people and elevate their voices by uplifting issues important to my constituents," Muhammad said in a press release.
Muhammad currently owns Mr. Dudley's Family Sweets and said he hopes to focus on changing legislation surrounding mental health.
As a veteran, Muhammad said the state of Iowa "needs to do a better job providing veterans with the resources they need."
He also looks to improve education in the state, telling Local 5: "I want to work with students, teachers, and school officials, to begin to start to see what it's going to take to be able to make our young people have a better education and a better quality of life."
Muhammad joins Rev. Rob Johnson in the race for House District 34. Johnson announced his candidacy just days after the announcement of Abdul-Samad's retirement.
By the time of his retirement, Abdul-Samad will have served seven terms in the Iowa House.