Finkenauer is best choice for 1st District

Although voters in Iowa's 1st Congressional District have three candidates on the ballot, only Republican incumbent Rod Blum and Democratic challenger Abby Finkenauer are actively campaigning. Between the two, for myriad reasons, residents of the 1st District would be best represented by Finkenauer.

If successful, Finkenauer would be among the youngest politicians ever elected to Congress and, by our measure, one of the better prepared. Not only has she spent four years in the Iowa Legislature - more governing experience than Blum had when he first campaigned - Finkenauer has the added experience of working in the nonprofit sector and being raised in a decidedly blue-collar family in rural Iowa.

If there is such a thing as a quintessential Iowa experience, Finkenauer has lived it and holds passion for it. Sitting in a room and listening to her speak about family, friends and fellow Iowans, it becomes clear that this campaign truly is as personal as her ads claim.

And it is all of her experiences - in the private and public sectors, in rural and urban environments - that will benefit 1st District residents from all walks of life.

Finkenauer, who has long relished public interaction at legislative forums, won't hide from Iowans, or surround herself only with political allies. Instead, she will carry the stories and concerns of everyday Iowans to the nation's capital.

Those include frustrations about tariffs and an incomplete farm bill, which add unnecessary stress to Iowa producers and farmers, as well as aspirations for a more skilled and diverse workforce to expand our small towns and grow local businesses. Finkenauer supports a comprehensive approach to immigration that secures the border, provides tools for employers and provides for the Dreamers.

When it comes to the environment and climate change, Finkenauer rightfully notes 'the first step is sending people to Congress who believe climate change is real.”

Combined with the underrepresented perspective her age affords, Finkenauer will be a valuable voice for the state in Washington, D.C.

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