Pulkrabek: Time for a change in House District 73

I'm Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek, and I'm running for the Iowa House in district 73. Our district includes parts of Johnson and Muscatine counties, and all of Cedar County.

For 35 years, I've lived, raised a family and served in this community. Growing up on acreage in La Porte City, I learned the importance of hard work and community early on. I was taught to pitch in wherever I could - baling hay, walking beans and detasseling corn.

I took those lessons with me to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office when I started as a deputy 35 years ago. Now, after 15 years serving as sheriff, hard work and commitment to community continue to guide my work every day. I pride myself on being there in people's time of need, I enjoy working with others to keep our community safe, and I've fought to improve the well-being of our region.

After 35 years, I was looking forward to retiring. My wife of 29 years, Julie, and I were ready to spend more time with family. But seeing the path our state is on, I knew I had to pitch in.

We can't afford problems like the high cost of health care, inadequate funding for our schools and lack of mental health care to continue unaddressed. Yet, legislators in Des Moines prioritize partisan interests over common sense solutions.

We need a representative focused on results, not scoring cheap political points. Throughout my career, I've gotten results. I listen to the people I represent and partner with local officials to create meaningful change. Together, we improved emergency response times, created nationally recognized crisis intervention and mental health training for officers across the state, and improved EMS in rural Iowa.

I've been elected by Democrats, independents and Republicans to serve as president of the Iowa State Sheriffs' and Deputies' Association, and the Iowa State Association of Counties. Both times, I was selected because of my record of getting things done by working with everyone.

Voters in this district know we deserve better. We need a state representative that will focus on us, not partisan interests. It's time for a change.

Early voting starts on Oct. 5, and Election Day is Nov. 3. Vote Lonny Pulkrabek for state representative in House District 73. For more information, visit www.LonnyForIowa.com.

Lonny Pulkrabek is a Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 73.