Iowa Senator Boulton, who bowed out of race for Governor after scandal, refuses to quit Legislature

DES MOINES – An Iowa Senator who was at one time a front-runner for the Democratic nod for governor in this year’s election but quit the race after a sex scandal, said this week he refuses to quit the Legislature.

Back in May, Iowa Democratic Senator Nate Boulton suspended his campaign for governor after a scathing Des Moines register expose on his alleged lewd behavior with women.

Monday, Boulton released a statement explaining his actions and his intention to stay in the Legislature:

SENATOR NATE BOULTON STATEMENT:

I cannot apologize enough for the heartache caused by the stories of those who came forward in May. To those individuals, my supporters, my constituents, and my friends and family: I am sorry. I commit to making sure such questions are never raised again about my conduct.

I have said that I remember these situations differently, with a differing context, but declined to share more to avoid shaming, blaming, or excuse making. I absolutely do have differing accounts, but my perspective is likely clouded by intoxication. Moreover, my perspective has less relevance than the experiences of those who felt that I crossed lines. Excessive drinking has no doubt led me to misread appropriate social boundaries and make choices that I would never tolerate while sober. In brutal honesty: binge drinking was a problem in my past. It has caused hurt and embarrassment, including an OWI in 2011. I now understand more fully the impact that behavior has had on others.
I have made progress with my drinking behavior since last year and, to show this is something I take quite seriously, for months have not had a single drink. I made this change because I want to be the man I believed myself to be—and the man my supporters believed in. No one has seen me intoxicated, act inappropriately, or even appear to cross boundaries since November, when I made this change in my life. It is my firm intention that nothing like this will happen ever again. I did not turn to alcohol when the rumors swirled and stories were published, when I ended a campaign I poured my heart into, or as my personal character became a topic of a humiliating public debate. I hope and believe that passing that test is a good start to a better life.

I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me, but especially my wife, Andrea, who has shown grace, resolve, and steadfast support. I believe each of us is stronger than our weakest moments and that our potential will always be brighter than how it might appear in our\darkest hours. I am committed to proving that. I now strive to make my example one of hope for anyone struggling through a personal crisis. I am motivated to live out that positive example–for Iowans, for my family, and for myself. The responsibilities I have to my constituents and as a dedicated advocate for working families across this state have not ended. The next step in my journey comes in January, as I return to serve in the Iowa Senate, humbled but determined.