“All Foreign Service officers of any rank are presidential appointees, even though one enters through a competitive civil service exam, and I concluded that I couldn’t serve the president from that time on,” Leach said in the 2009 interview.
A longtime Republican, Leach switched his party registration to Democrat in 2022 in order to vote in that year’s Democratic primary.
“Today, the Republican Party that I spent so many years with has really let the country down,” Leach said in a July 2022 statement. “I’ll lean toward the Democratic Party as long as excellent people are running.”
Leach had endorsed Democrats before, including presidential nominees Barack Obama in 2008 and Joe Biden in 2020.
He was a critic of Republican President Donald Trump, signing onto a 2016 letter with other retired Republican lawmakers saying Trump “makes a mockery of the principles and values we cherished and which we sought to represent in Congress.”
In 2020, Leach called Trump “unfit to serve as president” in a letter endorsing Biden.
Over the summer, Leach and Loebsack wrote a joint op-ed urging Iowans not to reelect Trump to a second term and calling him a threat to democracy.
“Let’s be clear, there is nothing less American than what Trump enabled on Jan. 6,” the two wrote in the op-ed. “And threatening revenge on one’s political enemies is absolutely anti-American.”
Davenport native was a state wrestling champ, Hall of Fame inductee
Leach was born on Oct. 15, 1942, in Davenport and graduated from Davenport High School in 1960.
He received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1964 and a master’s in Soviet politics from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in 1966. After his time at Johns Hopkins, Leach went on to study at the London School of Economics.
Leach won a state wrestling title as a senior in 1960 and went on to wrestle in college and graduate school. He is an inductee into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame .
“I’ve always thought that the most equalitarian place in the world is the wrestling mat,” Leach said in the 2009 interview with the National Endowment for the Humanities. “You have two people operating with the same goal in mind and abiding by the same rules. Wrestlers may differ in height and body type, but it’s hard to say who has the natural advantage.”
Loebsack said Leach demonstrated that same tenacity throughout his career.
“Never forget that he was a wrestler and he was a competitor and no one should ever underestimate his tenacity,” Loebsack said. “And that was evident in our campaign, but it was evident throughout his time.”
Condolences pour in from Iowa elected officials, educators
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican who represents Leach’s old territory in southeast Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, shared her condolences in a statement on social media .
“Sad to hear of the passing of former Congressman Jim Leach, a true statesman who represented Iowa in Congress for 30 years and was known for his bipartisan efforts,” Miller-Meeks wrote. “My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this time of loss.”
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican who represents Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, wrote on social media that she was “deeply saddened” at the news.
“Deeply saddened to hear that Jim Leach passed away,” Hinson wrote. “He dedicated his life to serving Iowans & reaching across the aisle. My prayers are with his family during this time.”
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, said in a statement that it was “a privilege” to get to know Leach.
“Congressman Jim Leach was a leader who served with integrity and honor,” Sand said. “It was a privilege to get to know him over the last few years. Our prayers are with his family.”
Peter Matthes, vice president for external relations at the University of Iowa and a former congressional staffer for Leach, said Leach “lived a life of service that we should all aspire to emulate.”
“During my time working for Jim on his congressional staff and later with him at Iowa, I witnessed his fierce belief in the power of public service and education. Our state and university have lost a respected leader and a dear friend,” Matthes said in a statement .
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller .
