GOP incumbent Cindy Golding faces challenge from newcomer in Iowa House 83 race

A Republican incumbent seeking her second term faces a Democratic newcomer in Iowa House District 83 to represent most of rural northwestern, northeastern and southeastern Linn County — including Palo, Coggon, Central City, Springville, Mount Vernon and Lisbon.

On Nov. 5, Republican Cindy Golding, first elected to the seat in 2022, will square off against Democrat Kent McNally, a longtime union electrician from Central City.

Top issues

The two candidates differ widely on their top priorities.

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Golding cites mental health, tax reform and energy as some of her top priorities.

“The mental health crisis is affecting all segments of our society. I will work with providers to determine how we can best approach the problem and find real solutions to the underlying issues, not just a Band-Aid on symptoms,” Golding said.

The longtime entrepreneur, who has served on the National Federation of Independent Business Leadership Council for 32 years, calls Iowa’s real estate tax system “a convoluted mess,” and is critical of Iowa’s biannual assessments combined with a “rollback” calculation that determines how much value is taxable. She hopes to come up with a simplified system that funds local governments while giving property owners the ability to project future costs.

“As we eliminate tax on retirement income to encourage seniors to remain in Iowa, we are taxing them out of their homes,” she said.

As weather-related crises affect the energy grid around the country, she calls for securing independence in energy sources, beyond wind and solar.

“As we work toward a goal of renewable energy, we cannot build dependency on intermittent wind and solar,” Golding said. “For the protection of Iowans, we must require reliable affordable, 24/7 sources of energy to sustain our communities and industries in the deep cold of winter and the steamy summers.”

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McNally, who is an advocate for abortion rights and reproductive freedom, cites women’s rights, public education and working-class families as his top three priorities.

He hopes to push for “proper funding” for area education agencies that have come under more scrutiny with a reform law signed earlier this year, as well as public school funding and teacher pay. He wants to take another look at how effective it has been for Iowa families to use public money for private school tuition under a law passed in 2023.

For working-class families, he would like to see an increase in the minimum wage and to restore unemployment benefits to the length they were before being cut by a new law in 2022.

An electrician for over 30 years and instructor for nine years at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 405’s National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee, McNally said he feels strongly about promoting collective bargaining rights “for workers who want them.”

Health issues, health care funding

Both candidates believe that mental health funding should be a priority.

Golding plans to review the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services budget to ensure proper provisions for mental health and other services. She calls attention to human trafficking in Iowa and how it intersects with mental health services.

“There’s a lot of talk about these issues, but nothing is getting done about the lack of places to go for Iowans to get the help needed and some, unfortunately, are dealt with in the judicial system,” McNally said.

Golding believes the state has the tools it needs to address nursing home staffing shortages and resident safety. Any additional legislation should focus on measures of success and penalties for non-compliance, she said.

McNally, not committing to any particular measures, said more bipartisan research is needed. “There’s a high rate of turnover and burnout with this occupation because it’s a tough job,” he said.

After Iowa made headlines for having the second-highest cancer rate in the nation behind Kentucky, both candidates agree that robust support for cancer research is necessary.

McNally also advocates for much more research to help “hold companies accountable” for water pollution. Golding calls for investigating all sources contributing to decreased water quality — such as landfills, industry, sewage plant leaks and stormwater runoff — in addition to agriculture-related nitrogen contamination.

“Water quality is a complex problem that will require participation from every community in Iowa,” she said.

Reproductive freedom

Golding said she would not vote for any bill defining “life” as starting “at conception” that would negatively impact in vitro fertilization or stop an abortion to save the life of a mother.

“I believe we should protect the in vitro fertilization procedure. Chemical abortion and the ‘day after pill’ should be closely monitored by a physician to protect the health of the mother in cases of unexpected side effects,” she said. “This may take legislation to enforce.”

McNally, who defined “women’s issues” as a top priority and calls himself “pro-choice,” did not respond to questions sent to candidates by The Gazette about legislation regulating access to abortion, contraception and in vitro fertilization.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.