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Iowa Campaign Almanac: Zach Wahls will seek re-election
Matt Pries will challenge Sen. Jack Whitver, more endorsements for Abby Finkenauer in U.S. Senate race
Feb. 9, 2022 6:08 pm
A roundup of campaign news items of interest from Wednesday:
WAHLS RUNNING: Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls, a Democrat from Coralville and leader of the Senate Democrats, announced his intention to seek re-election.
The new District 43 in which Wahls will run includes Coralville, North Liberty, Solon and parts of Iowa City and northeast Johnson County.
In a news release, Wahls said he has worked with both parties on renewable fuels and protections for Iowans who live in mobile home parks. He criticized Republicans on abortion regulations, K-12 education policy, elections policy and Senate Republicans’ decision to move reporters out of the media work spaces on the chamber floor into the upstairs public gallery.
“Now is not the time to give up. There is too much at stake, and I am going to keep fighting to restore a Democratic majority to Iowa so we can protect the freedoms of all Iowans,” Wahls said in a news release.
“Iowa’s future is still bright, but only if we change the direction our state is heading. That’s why I’m running for re-election: to keep fighting to make Iowa a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
Wahls was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018 and was chosen by his peers as the Senate Democrats’ leader in 2020.
PRIES TO CHALLENGE WHITVER: Matt Pries, a Democrat from Grimes, announced his plan to run for the Iowa Senate district in which Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver will run.
Whitver lives in Ankeny, but plans to move into the new Senate District 23, which consists of northern Polk County outside Ankeny, including Grimes, Bondurant and Polk City. The Senate districts that include Ankeny have become more competitive as Democrats have made voter registration gains there in recent cycles.
Pries is a teacher and running coach at Waukee High School, and is active in his church, according to a news release.
“We need new policies to address the state’s workforce crisis,” Pries said in a news release.
“Our district deserves a true advocate for public education and mental health. I will be a voice for diversity, striving to ensure all people have access to services they need, and stand for responsible use of our resources. We must become a leader in sustainability and demonstrate concern for future generations.”
FINKENAUER ENDORSEMENTS: Nine community leaders from Iowa City endorsed Abby Finkenauer’s Democratic campaign for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Chuck Grassley. The endorsements include city council members, county supervisors and local union leaders.
Finkenauer, a former congresswoman and state legislator from Cedar Rapids, is seeking the Democratic nomination in Iowa’s U.S. Senate campaign. Also in the Democratic primary are Mike Franken, a U.S. Navy veteran from Sioux City, and Glenn Hurst, a physician from Minden.
“These outstanding Iowa City leaders agree that our families deserve a fighter who will finally deliver lower prescription drug costs, cheaper health care and more good jobs to Iowa,” Finkenauer said in a campaign news release. “Together, we’re going to show Sen. Grassley the door in November and give Iowa families a seat at the table again.”
Gazette Des Moines Bureau