Meet the independent congressional candidate in Northeast Iowa

A retired insurance executive who missed the filing deadline to appear on the primary ballot earlier this year is running to challenge Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson in the Nov. 5 general election.

Jody Puffett, of Delhi, is running unaffiliated with a political party for Northeast Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. The district includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo and Grinnell.

Hinson, a former state lawmaker and former KCRG-TV news anchor, is running for a third term. She also faces Democratic challenger and small-business owner Sarah Corkery, of Cedar Falls.

Puffett, 59, a retired Transamerica executive with a 30-plus-year career in various finance and audit roles, said she is running for office due to her frustration with the federal government's fiscal irresponsibility and Hinson’s voting record.

A lifelong registered Republican, Puffett cited Hinson’s support in April of a $95 billion foreign aid package that included assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other global hot spots.

Puffett lamented that the package did not include money to bolster U.S. border security. She also mentioned supporting mental health services and foster care and taking care of Iowa veterans.

She also called for changes to Congress intended to make federal legislators more accountable, like requiring that bills address only a single subject, implementing term limits and reducing spending.

Puffett also advocated for overhauling the budget process, eliminating congressional pensions and supporting legal immigration while ensuring border security. She supports term limits for elected officials and plans to donate her congressional salary to local nonprofits.

Puffett emphasizes her commitment to change and independence from political parties.

Immigration

“I absolutely support legal immigration. During my career, I have worked with individuals from all over the world, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Europe and Canada,” Puffett said. “There are individuals who come to the U.S. to build a better life for themselves and who want to be productive members of our communities. But right now, we also have an open border policy creating an immigration crisis — with criminals, gang members and terrorists able to come into the country unvetted and undetained. We need a triaged response to fix the problem.”

She said she supports adding more Border Patrol agents, ending “catch release” and completing construction of the border wall between the United States and Mexico.

Puffett said she also supports detaining convicted criminals who are undocumented immigrants and streamlining the path to citizenship to make the process more efficient.

Abortion

Puffett said she believes Hinson and Corkery have taken “extreme positions” on both sides of the issue.

“I believe most Americans fall somewhere in the middle, and I am one of those individuals,” she said.

Puffett said she does not support a complete ban on abortion, “as I believe women should have termination options early in their pregnancies,” and supports exceptions for rape, incest, where the mother's life is at risk, or rare cases of extreme fetal anomalies that are not compatible with life.

Social Security

Puffett said she does not support any cuts to Social Security benefits, and does not support increasing the retirement age. In addition, seniors should not be taxed on their Social Security benefits, she said.

Foreign policy

Puffett said she opposes sending more aid to Ukraine to aid in its defense against Russia.

“I believe we lack transparency and accountability as to how those dollars are being spent and there is no strategic plan outlining our exit strategy,” she said. “… More importantly, we have sent hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to other countries, yet we have significant needs here in our own backyard in Iowa that are not being adequately funded.”

She said she would fight for fiscal restraint and ensure “we invest in America first and foremost.”

Her case to voters

Puffett asserts voters are fed-up with the current political establishment, and are demanding change.

“The problem is that voters usually only have two options on the ballot. I give voters another option and I will be that candidate of change,” she said.

With a more than a 30-year career in the finance world, Puffett said she will take a hard line on spending, reducing the federal debt and also taxes.

“Ashley (Hinson) talks about reducing wasteful spending and her concerns over our debt — but her actions on various bills don’t align with her words; in fact, her votes continue to perpetuate the problem,” she said. “Finally, I believe I am the candidate who will represent this district on the House floor with a professional demeanor, and with the proven leadership skills to find common ground and produce results.”

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com