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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Statement from the office of Second District Congressman Dave Loebsack

With the approval of Iowa's Congressional district lines for 2012 by the state legislature and expected signature by the Governor, Dave Loebsack officially announced his candidacy for re-election to Iowa's Second Congressional District.

Dave and his wife Terry will reside in Johnson County, running for re-election in a district that includes 14 of the 15 counties Loebsack has represented since his first election in 2006.

In Congress, Loebsack has taken on the tough fights, such as helping bring critical relief to Iowa during the floods of 2008 and the ongoing recovery process.  A strong progressive, Loebsack was an early supporter of President

Obama's during his upset win of the 2008 Iowa Caucus.

Loebsack said, “Now more than ever, we must stand together -­ fighting against a Republican Congress that seeks to undermine all the progress we have made in recent years.  If they had their way, they'd jeopardize seniors' hard-earned health care and privatize Medicare, while giving special tax breaks to oil and insurance companies.  I'll never stop fighting for what's right ­- putting Iowa's interests ahead of the special interests.” 

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General Assembly approves redistricting

The Iowa House has overwhelmingly approved new maps of legislative and congressional districts.

The state will have four seats in Congress under the new maps, aloss of one district due to Iowa's slow population growth. Under the map approved by the House on Thursday, Reps. Tom Latham andSteve King are left in one district and Reps. Bruce Braley and DaveLoebsack are placed in another. Rep. Leonard Boswell remains in his district, and the remaining district now has no incumbent.

The new boundaries put 41 state legislators in districts with another incumbent.

The House approved the new map on a 90-7 vote, sending it to the Senate, where approval is also expected. Gov. Terry Branstad hasn't taken a position on the redistricting plan.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)