House 77 Democrats cite backgrounds, experience

Candidates for the Democratic nomination in Iowa House District 77 agree on the issues but say their backgrounds and perspectives offer voters a choice in Tuesday's primary election.

Amy Nielsen of North Liberty and Abbie Weipert of Tiffin agree that education and health care will be legislative priorities for the next representative from House 77, a largely rural district that covers most of Johnson County west of Interstate 380, North Liberty and the portion of the county south of Iowa City.

The district has been represented by Rep. Sally Stutsman, D-Riverside, who is not seeking re-election.

'Education is what brought me into community activism,” Nielsen says. With three children in school, 'I see firsthand what we are doing to their quality of education and their opportunities. I feel very strongly I want to be in a position to fight for better opportunities for kids all across the state.”

Weipert also hears those concerns from voters and sees 'the impact of inadequate and delayed state aid” every day in her job as a financial planner for Kirkwood Community College.

'It affects our decisions on what courses we can offer and how much cost is going to passed on to the students,” she says.

At the K-12 level, Weipert says, there is concern about how funding will affect class sizes and schools' ability to offer foreign language classes and the impact on programs such as sports and music.

Privatized management Medicaid, which serves about 560,000 Iowans, also is on voters' minds, Weipert says. 'The question is how to ensure high-quality health care and where will the oversight come from.”

The concerns Nielsen hears about mental health make her want to work to ensure that 'when people are in a time of crisis, they have someone to call and immediately get help and someone will follow up with them.”

And Nielsen, as mayor of the fast-growing North Liberty, says her eyes have been opened to municipalities' need for more support and flexibility in meeting infrastructure needs.

The House 77 Democratic primary hasn't attracted much attention perhaps because of the six-way race for the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Nielsen says.

'You have two Democrats who pretty much believe the same things,” she says, 'so the deciding factor may come down to who has the experience and the track record.” Her experience is as a mother of three school-age children, as mayor and a member of the city council, and involvement in school and community.

Nielsen believes it important the next House 77 representative is 'a strong leader, someone who can support the already elected delegation from Johnson County.”

Weipert, with her background as the daughter of a single mother who worked two jobs and as someone who worked her way through college and worked full-time while getting her master's degree, believes she will be a 'fierce advocate for the middle class.”

'My story is unique among the candidate, but not unique for people in the district,” she says. 'Along with my business background and financial savvy, I think that will resonate with voters.”

Iowa House members serve two-year terms and are paid $25,000 a year.

Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Abbie Weipert

' Age: 31

' Address: Tiffin

' Professional experience: Worked in investments and finance in the Corridor for nine years. Now managing financial planning at Kirkwood Community College.

' Political experience: Worked on local campaigns; precinct captain for Hillary Clinton.

' Education: Bachelor's in finance, MBA from University of Iowa; completed Iowa State University's Leadership Institute for Community College Leadership; working on master's in business analytics.

' Community service: Last Hope Animal Rescue, Workplace Learning Connection, Kirkwood Community College, United Way

' Family: Husband, Travis

' Quote: 'I have knocked on well over 500 doors, made countless phone calls, and sought out every opportunity to engage with District 77 citizens. This drive and work ethic will not stop when the campaign is over. My professional experience in business, my education, and party and community involvement leave me uniquely positioned to serve.”

Amy Nielsen

' Age: 39

' Address: North Liberty

' Professional background: Teller/customer service representative at financial institutions, 1994-99; 1999 to present, stay-at-home mom

' Political experience: Elected mayor of North Liberty, 2014; Johnson County Metropolitan Planning Organization; East Central Iowa Council of Governments; member Johnson County Assessor's Conference Board.

' Education: Kirkwood Community College

' Community service: Started first Walking School Bus in Johnson County (Garner Elementary, 2012-14); North Liberty Community Pantry, Iowa City Blue Zones, Iowa City school district's Community Education Districtwide Advisory Council.

' Family: Husband, Jason; three children

' Quote: 'The majority party in the House of Representatives has strayed from what Iowans value most, education, taking care of each other and taking care of the land. I will work hard to restore these priorities to their rightful place, which is ahead of large corporate tax breaks, not after.”