JUDGE: This election is about Millie

When I was considering whether to get into this race, the thought of my newly born granddaughter, Millie, made me hesitate. Millie had a heart condition that required regular hospital visits, and I wanted to be sure I was there for my son, Joe, and his wife during this time.

When I told Joe my worries, he looked me at me and said, 'Mom, Millie and her future are the reasons you have to run.”

I've thought about that moment as I've crossed our state, speaking with Iowans and learning how frustrated they are that their elected officials don't work for them. Washington politicians no longer listen to the people, they listen to their donors and special interest friends. If we want to get D.C. working for Millie and the next generation of Iowans across the state, we need to break the gridlock and bring a new perspective to Washington.

Before I first ran for elected office, I spent many years working right here in Iowa. I was a nurse, a small-business owner, and a farmer. I started my political career after the 1980s Farm Crisis, when enough wasn't being done to help family farmers. I began working as a mediator with the Iowa Farmer Creditor Mediation Service, helping family farmers negotiate with creditors and stay on their land. Then, I ran for State Senate on a promise to always fight for Iowa families, and I kept that promise on the Senate floor, as Secretary of Agriculture, and as Lieutenant Governor.

That promise is why I believe we need to make college affordable by expanding the Pell Grant program and providing two years of free community college tuition. It's why I believe we need to protect and expand Social Security and Medicare, not privatize these programs like Chuck Grassley wants and risk your retirement to Wall Street bankers. And we need to raise our minimum wage, because if you work full time you should be able to support your family.

Unfortunately, Washington, D.C. isn't working for us. Instead of standing up for working families, Chuck Grassley is solely focused on partisan games. He's leading the unprecedented obstruction on the Supreme Court and is stalling progress on the issues that matter to Iowans.

After 42 years in Washington, it has become clearer than ever that Chuck Grassley has changed. That's the only explanation as to why he would trust Donald Trump to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. Donald Trump has proved time and again that he is unfit to lead this nation. He has made disgusting statements about minorities, Americans with disabilities, and women for years.

Sadly, none of these disgusting and dangerous comments have been enough to cause Chuck Grassley to question his trust of Donald Trump.

Millie's future can be bright, but that will take change in Washington. We must replace obstruction and gridlock with a willingness to work together. That is my pledge to you, and I hope I can count on your vote.

' More information:patty@pattyjudgeforiowa.com; pattyjudgeforiowa.com; Twitter: @PattyForIowa; Facebook.com/pattyjudgeforiowa