Governor Tom Vilsack’s policy director handed in his two-week notice today so he can make a run for the democratic nomination for Iowa Agriculture Secretary. Dusky Terry wants to replace Patti Judge who is not running again so she can make a run for governor. “I think Iowans deserve a new generation of leaders, with fresh ideas and the energy necessary to create new opportunities, both the rural and urban areas of the state,” Terry says. He says Iowa is position to lead the nation in economic opportunities. Terry is the son of Dixon Terry who as a prominent leader in the group “Prairie Fire” during the 1980’s farm crisis. Dusky Terry says he and his wife chose to stay on the farm near Greenfield after his father died so they could raise their family there. He says he stayed on the farm because of the “exceptional quality of life” in the state. He says he wants to continue to work to ensure that there are opportunities for people who want to be part of “a noble endeavor to contribute to feeding and fueling the world.” Terry says the top issue facing the Ag Secretary is setting a plan that looks out five to ten years into the future. He says, “And it’s going to be very different from what we’ve seen in the past, we know that. We’ve got pressures from global competition, we’ve got pressures from the re-authorization of the farm bill and we’ve got pressures from our own economy being transformed.” He says some needs to be looking out for family farmers through those changes to make sure they have a role in Iowa’s future. Terry says he resigned now to prepare his campaign and will make a formal announcement of his campaign in September. Terry is one of three democrats who’re interested in the job. Democrat Brent Halling of Perry, the current deputy state Ag Secretary, said in late July that he is running. Sources say Eddie Peterson, a former member of the Webster County Board of Supervisors, also plans to run as a Democrat. Candidates on the Republican side include Karey Claghorn, a farmer from Milo; Mark Leonard, a farmer and banker from Holstein and corn and soybean farmer Bill Northey of Spirit Lake, ex-president of the Iowa and National Corn Growers Associations.