A path forward for Iowa Democrats

The results of the 2016 election were devastating for the Iowa Democratic Party. It hurts me to say it, but Iowa has become a solidly red state. If Iowa Democrats want to change that, one thing is clear: we need to make 2017 the year of party-building. The only way that Iowa Democrats can start to win again in 2018 and 2020 is if we rebuild the party from the grass roots up.

What does party-building mean to me?

For one thing, it means a renewed focus on rural areas. I'm proud of my deep roots in rural Iowa. I grew up in Inwood, Iowa, a town of about 800 in far northwestern Iowa. And since then, I've worked in every corner of Iowa, from Allamakee County to Fremont.

This year's election proved that writing off a majority of the state is not a winning strategy. But even more importantly, I believe that we as a party should aim to represent the interests of all Iowans, rural as well as urban.

I believe that you shouldn't have to move to a city to find a decent job. The Democratic Party should be committed to creating opportunities in rural areas as well as urban. It should be a serious concern to Democrats everywhere that rural schools are being forced to consolidate, that rural towns are shrinking, and that small rural businesses are closing up due to lack of customers.

Rural Iowans sent a strong message this election that they don't think Democratic Party cares about them. We need to change that.

On a related note, party-building means contesting every legislative race. I see elections as a party-building tool - it's hard to build your local party when you can't even go to the polls and vote for a Democrat to represent you in the statehouse. We need to recognize that strong county parties are the bedrock of a state party, and that requires competing in every district. And who knows, we might even win some unexpected seats.

But most of all, party-building means bringing new people into the Democratic Party - and keeping them here. I believe it's the job of presidential campaigns to bring new people into the party. But it's also the job of the state party to make sure those new people feel welcome. My experiences on the Obama and Bernie campaigns taught me that we have a lot of work to do on the latter part.

For all these reasons, I'm excited to be running for Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. The incoming chair will set the direction of the party in this crucial period, and I believe my roots in rural Iowa and my deep understanding of organizing make me the best choice for this position.

I want to play my part in turning Iowa blue again, and serving as chair would allow me to focus full-time on making 2017 the year of party-building for the Iowa Democratic Party. Iowa Democrats, let's start to win again!

' Blair Lawton, of North Liberty, is a candidate for Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party.