‘Future is now,” Rep. Anesa Kajtazovic says in announcing Iowa 1st District bid

Although just 26 years old, Rep. Anesa Kajtazovic believes she has the experience necessary to serve northeast Iowans in the U.S. House.

As a war refugee, as an immigrant, as a woman and as a millennial, the second-term state lawmaker said Tuesday it's just that her experiences are different than other – older -- candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in the 20-county 1

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District that includes Cedar Rapids, Cedar Fall, Waterloo and Dubuque.

Her entry in the race brings the field of 1

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District Democrats seeking to replace Rep. Bruce Braley to five. The others are Rep. Pat Murphy of Dubuque, former state lawmaker and Iowa Utilities Board member Swati Dandekar of Marion, business owner and City Councilwoman Monica Vernon and attorney Dave O'Brien, both of Cedar Rapids. Democrats will select a candidate in the June 2014 primary.

Kajtazovic isn't willing to wait until she's their age to serve.

“I think women have always been told to wait their turn,” Kajtazovic said while announcing her candidacy on the steps of the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Cedar Rapids Aug. 20. “Working people have been told to wait their turn. African-Americans, immigrants, our gay and lesbian friends have been told to wait their turns.

“Our future is now. We should not wait our turn,” Kajtazovic said.

There's no time to wait, she said, because Americans' economic security, which generations of Democrats have championed, “is under attack from a misguided economic philosophy promoted by the Republicans that worships markets over people, theory over results and rich over the middle class.”

“The programs we as Democrats cherish the most – Social Security and Medicare – are under attack,” she continued. “I say enough is enough.”

Iowans, she said, are looking for new leaders “with new ideas and vision, leaders with records of success in innovation, who will stand on principle,” she said.

That youth, energy and vision attracted retired firefighter Tom Powers of Waterloo. Her service on the House Veterans Affairs Committee also is important to the Vietnam veteran.

“Her generation is coming back (from Iraq and Afghanistan) wounded with PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) and other injuries,” Powers said. “It will take someone of her generation to be there for them a long time.”

Kajtazovic, who said she “lives and breathes middle class values,” outlined several problems – stagnant income growth, income disparity, lack of jobs, high student debt, Main Street businesses competing with Wall Street.

“Working families are struggling and I will make it my priority to give them a voice,” she said.

Kajtazovic believes she is best-positioned to be that voice because she's “from a generation that defies ideological labels, but is focused on results.”

“We want to get things done and we have a sense of urgency … to provide leadership, innovation and a voice for the people of the 1

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District,” she said, asking voters not to make their choice based on her age. “Judge my background, my vision, my commitment to you.”

james.lynch@sourcemedia.net