It may not seem like it right now, but at some point the federal government will get back to work.

When it does, an area man will be playing the lead role in managing the United States Department of Agriculture’s rural development programs for the state of Iowa.

Mike Sexton, of Rockwell City, resigned from the state House of Representatives on Sept. 19 to take the post.

We think he is a fine choice for the job.

There is no doubt that Sexton, who has been a farmer all of his life, is well familiar with the needs of rural Iowa. And in addition to his farming background, he once managed water utilities for small communities. Utilities are a regular user of the rural development grants and loans offered by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Sexton is a Republican, but when it came to agriculture and rural issues, the bills he introduced or worked on were practical, not partisan. For example, he pushed to allow specialized truck wash facilities for rigs that haul livestock. He also worked to shore up the state’s Grain Indemnity Fund, a program that isn’t especially well-known but is vital to farmers. Sexton understands the nuances of that program in a way that few others in the state Capitol do.

Looking back on his legislative career, he said he is proud of “representing Iowa agriculture, Iowa farmers, Iowa livestock producers and making sure that they were able to do what they do best without a lot of government regulation.”

Sexton was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2014. He had been the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee since 2022.

He was a state senator from 1999 to 2003. After leaving the Senate, he served on the Rockwell City -Lytton and South Central Calhoun school boards.

Sexton has a proven track record of service to rural Iowa. Now he is going to take his knowledge and dedication to a new level.

We congratulate him and look forward to the good things he will be able to do for Iowa’s farmers and rural communities in the future.