Julian Garrett Retires: Will His Replacement Be More Pro-Marijuana in Iowa Senate District 11?

Last week, longtime Iowa State Senator Julian Garrett (R-District 11) announced he will not seek re-election due to a prostate cancer diagnosis.¹ For the first time in more than 13 years, Warren County (and part of Marion County) will have an open Senate seat in the June 2 primary and November general election.

Julian Garrett was my first soccer coach as a child in the Milo area. I have written about him before on Weedpress in the context of cannabis policy and state-level oversight.² His retirement marks the end of an era in District 11.

The Candidates

Republican Primary (June 2):

• Mandee Shivers (Pleasantville)

• Jon Thorup (Knoxville)

• Hollie Zajicek (Norwalk)

Democratic Primary:

• Sinikka Waugh (Indianola) – unopposed

District 11 is strongly Republican, so the GOP nominee is heavily favored to win the seat in November.

Are Any of These Candidates More Pro-Marijuana Than Garrett?

Senator Garrett was generally not a supporter of broader cannabis reform. He voted against multiple medical cannabis expansion bills and maintained a cautious, restrictive stance on the issue during his tenure.³

From recent candidate forums and public statements, none of the Republican candidates have publicly positioned themselves as strong proponents of further legalization or aggressive Schedule III implementation support.⁴ Jon Thorup has made some comments acknowledging that Iowa is “so far beyond the times” on certain cannabis-related issues, but he has not advocated for major expansion.⁵ Mandee Shivers and Hollie Zajicek have focused their public comments on taxes, education, family issues, and economic development, with no clear pro-marijuana platform statements in available coverage. Democrat Sinikka Waugh has not released detailed cannabis-specific positions in early coverage.

In short: None of the candidates have emerged as clearly more pro-marijuana than Garrett was. The race so far is focused on other priorities, with marijuana receiving only passing mention in forums.

What This Means for South Dakota’s Cannabis Transition

Iowa’s Senate District 11 (Warren County and part of Marion County) is in south-central Iowa and influences the broader Midwest cannabis policy environment. As federal Schedule III implementation continues, states like Iowa and South Dakota are grappling with conformity, banking access, 280E relief, and operator compliance. A more cannabis-friendly legislator in District 11 could indirectly affect regional issues, patient access, and the conversation around normalization.

My previous correspondence with Senator Garrett examined his record on cannabis-related votes and regulatory oversight.⁶ With his retirement, the question for District 11 voters is whether the next senator will continue a cautious approach or show more openness to the structural changes already underway at the federal level.

The June 2 primary will decide the Republican nominee. I will continue tracking the candidates’ positions on cannabis policy, Schedule III implementation, and related regulatory issues as the race develops.

What do you think? Are any of these candidates signaling a shift on marijuana issues? Drop your thoughts in the comments or reach out.

Footnotes

¹ Julian Garrett Retirement Announcement, Des Moines Register (March 2026); Indianola Independent (April 2026).

² Author’s personal knowledge; see also previous Weedpress coverage on Senator Garrett and cannabis oversight.

³ See Garrett’s voting record on medical cannabis expansion bills, Iowa Senate Journal (2019–2024 sessions).

⁴ Candidate Forum Coverage, Indianola Independent (May 5, 2026).

⁵ Jon Thorup public comments on cannabis-related issues, reported in local forum coverage (May 2026).

⁶ Letter from Julian Garrett to Weedpress, March 2011.