DeJear fighting to win ‘common ground’ in Iowa governor’s race

CEDAR RAPIDS — Despite political headwinds, Iowa gubernatorial nominee Deidre DeJear sees hope and common ground among Iowa voters, including rural voters, which could pave success for Democrats in November.

From pushing to provide taxpayer funding to pay for students to attend private schools, to a flat tax and abortion restrictions, DeJear argues Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has prioritized extreme policies over Iowans while real issues like rural revitalization and access to quality, affordable health care and mental health care have been shortchanged.

“We’re seeing minimal results out of the governor’s office,” DeJear told a gathering of 25 supporters and Linn County Democrats.

DeJear stopped at Raygun in Cedar Rapids Monday evening as part of a statewide campaign swing ahead of Iowa Democrats’ state convention Saturday in Des Moines, and delivered her “report card” on Reynolds’ performance during her first term.

The Des Moines business owner and activist, who became the first Black candidate to be nominated for statewide office in Iowa with her unsuccessful run for Iowa secretary of state in 2018, gave Reynolds failing grades on the environment, education, health care, government transparency, housing, women’s issues, jobs and the economy.

“Are we willing to fight for that common ground?” DeJear asked the group of supporters. “To be real? To talk about the real issues that Iowans are facing, not the ones that people want to use to divide us like what bathroom somebody goes to. C’mon. People need homes. They need a roof over their heads. They need insurance. They need to be able to choose to go to school or a grocery store knowing they can come home safe. This isn’t about culture right now, this is about progression as Iowans. This is about fighting for a democracy that we all need to work, but we’ve got leadership unwilling to use it.”

DeJear criticized Reynolds’ push to use $55 million in state public school funding to provide 10,000 students with scholarships to pay private school expenses.

“One hundreds percent of our students need the undivided attention of our governor in order to improve their opportunity within the education system,” DeJear said.

She also criticized the governor for stating she believes the effects of climate change were “overstated,” despite the increasing frequency of severe storms and flooding across the state, including the August 2020 derecho that hit Cedar Rapids “hard and heavy.”

DeJear, too, called out Reynolds for pushing a conservative agenda that supports “an unfair” 4 percent flat-rate state income tax she argues “benefits the super wealthy and corporations,” while rural counties continue to lose population, rural hospitals have closed and Iowans grapple to access needed mental health care.

“The vast majority of Iowans are going to get $55 a month four years from now,” DeJear said of the gradual income tax cuts. “Meanwhile, we’re sitting on a $1 billion (state budget) surplus and we know that money could go to good use today. … We can put resources into education. We can put resources into mental health care,” as well as workforce and affordable housing.

“When we look at the legislation and when we look at this cycle from this current governor, we’re not seeing the work happen,” DeJear continued.

GOP response

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann pushed packed on DeJear’s assessment of Reynold’s first term.

“Gov. Kim Reynolds has transformed education in Iowa by ensuring students have a 100 percent in-person learning option, banning mask mandates, and defending parents' rights to be involved in their child's education,” Kaufmann said in a statement of DeJear’s “Reynolds Report Card Tour. “Because of Reynolds' record of success, Iowa's students are on a better path than students in blue states. … To DeJear, teacher unions are in control — not Iowans. That's not the kind of education policy Iowans want out of their governor.”

Democrats face political headwinds in a state that’s grown increasingly more conservative.

The latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll from March showed Reynolds with an 8-point lead over DeJear.

Both ran unopposed in Iowa’s June 7 primary.

DeJear was joined on her Cedar Rapids stop by Democratic State Sen. Liz Mathis of Hiawatha, who is running to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson of Marion in the November general election.

Mathis mentioned a recent fundraising call where a woman told her she would not donate to her campaign, but wished her the best of luck.

“We cannot wish our candidates into office,” Mathis told the small gathering of Linn County Democrats. “We have got to roll up our sleeves. We have got to knock on doors. We have got to get out there and spread the word … and getting a candidate like Deidre DeJear, who is passionate and compassionate, and is putting her all into this campaign. And that’s what’s going to get us a win.”

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