4 Democrats vie for chance to oust Rod Blum

CEDAR RAPIDS — They agree on the big stuff: Health care is a right and Medicare should be expanded; a $15-an-hour minimum wage is needed; the federal government should invest in public works like roads and schools; and college and job training ought to be more affordable.

And another thing — Republican U.S. Rep. Rod Blum has got to go.

'We have a government and representative who have no interest in governing or representing you,' argued Thomas Heckroth of Cedar Falls, one of four Iowa 1st District Democrats seeking the party's nomination in the June 5 primary to challenge Blum in the November election.

Blum is one of the Washington politicians who is afraid to stand up to the political action committees and lobbyists 'because these are the very people who fund their campaigns,' asserted another candidate, Courtney Rowe of Cedar Rapids, who is not accepting PAC money.

Heckroth and state Rep. Abby Finkenauer of Dubuque have been getting the most interest from voters, according to Democrats who were at April 28's 1st District Democratic convention. Many indicated they haven't made up their minds, but are looking at candidates' experience.

For four years, Finkenauer has been representing a Dubuque district in the Iowa House.

The policies Blum pushes help out-of-state corporations 'that hurt the folks in this state and make it harder for my family, my friends, my neighbors,' she said.

'In contrast, I have been right here fighting hard in the Statehouse against Republican attack after attack on everything from women and our health care to collective bargaining rights they gutted, to attacks on worker compensation,' she said. 'I haven't been just a vote against those attacks. I have been a voice every single time.'

In Iowa, she said, it used to be that people willing to work hard could get ahead.

'Unfortunately right now, that's become nearly impossible because of the policies being pushed by the Freedom Caucus member we have representing us,' she said about Blum.

Heckroth, making his first run for public office, emphasized what he learned while working for retired U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin and in the administration of former President Barack Obama.

Working for Harkin, Heckroth said, he listened 'as Iowans called in with their frustrations and concerns. Sen. Harkin knew you can't make good policy without being a good listener.'

In Obama's Department of Labor, Heckroth worked to 'level the playing field for American workers and hold corporations and trading partners accountable to international labor standards.' When he left for the private sector, Heckroth worked as a corporate reformer 'to show that you didn't have to make a profit at the expense of people or the environment.'

To drive home his point about the value of experience for someone seeking the $174,000-a-year job, he invokes President Donald Trump.

'We've seen from the president that a little bit of experience is not a bad thing,' Heckroth said.

Rowe, another first-time candidate, emphasized her progressive agenda and belief in 'an America where life, liberty and opportunity allow you to pursue happiness.' She called for investing tax dollars in the things Americans need like Medicare for all, green energy, helping small businesses access the capital they need to grow and a price floor for farm crops.

Serving in Congress would be an 'extension of a lifetime commitment to service,' said candidate George Ramsey of Marion, who spent 31 years in the Army, most recently as a recruiter in northeast Iowa.

Voters are looking for a candidate who offers bold leadership, he said.

'If we can't convince our friends and neighbors to join us, to have the same excitement, to help us beat Rod Blum in November, we're going to be right back here talking about the same things we've been talking for the last two terms,' Ramsey said. 'I don't know about you, but I'm tired of talking about it.'

The 1st District stretches from Marshalltown to Allamakee County and includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo and Cedar Falls.

Get to know the candidates:

Abby Finkenauer

• Age: 29
• From: Dubuque
• Occupation: State representative
• Education: public relations and business studies degree, Drake University
• Website: 

  AbbyFinkenauer.com

Thomas Heckroth

• Age: 34
• From: Cedar Falls
• Occupation: Sustainable manufacturing and sourcing director
• Education: B.A., University of Iowa, M.B.A., Indiana University — Kelley School of Business
• Website: 

  ThomasHeckroth.com

George Ramsey

• Age: 50
• From: Marion
• Occupation: U.S. Army (retired); nonprofit executive — talent management officer
• Education: B.A., public administration, Park University; master's, organizational leadership, Gonzaga University.
• Website: 

  ramseyforuscongress.org

Courtney Rowe

• Age: 36
• From: Cedar Rapids
• Occupation: Aerospace engineer
• Education: B.S., aeronautical and astronautical Engineering, Purdue University
• Website: 

  courtneyroweforcongress.org

l Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com