Democrat newcomer challenges Taylor Collins in Iowa House District 95

A one-term Republican state representative will face a Democrat newcomer in next week's election for Iowa House District 95.

Rep. Taylor Collins, a Mediapolis Republican, is being challenged by Jeff Poulter, of Middletown, in Tuesday's general election. The district includes all of Louisa County and rural areas of Des Moines, Henry and Muscatine counties.

Collins, 28, was unopposed in his 2022 election win. He was a field director for Gov. Kim Reynolds' campaign in fall 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile, after which he was an adviser for Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg for more than a year.

Collins did not respond to requests to comment for this article, and he did not submit answers to a Gazette candidate survey.

Poulter, 65, is a retired United Parcel Service driver and administrator of nearly four decades.

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His campaign is targeting recent Republican legislation that greatly restricted abortion access in the state; directed hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to cover private K-12 school tuition; and shifted funding for area education agencies.

The candidates sparred over the issues in a one-on-one candidate forum this month in Mediapolis, according to The Hawk Eye newspaper.

Collins said he and his colleagues "landed on a good spot" with the abortion law, which prohibits most abortions after about six weeks of gestation. The law has exceptions for conceptions that were the result of incest or rape and if the mother's life is at risk. Collins also touted this year's expansion of Medicaid coverage for lower-income new mothers that lengthened postpartum coverage but made it harder to qualify for.

Poulter told The Gazette the "restrictions on women’s health care freedoms is wrong and needs to be overturned." He said residents should decide the abortion issue by voting on a state constitutional amendment.

Amending Iowa's Constitution is a lengthy process that requires affirmative votes from the House and Senate by two successive general assemblies. The assemblies last for two years between elections. Then residents vote would on the amendments.

Poulter said the new education savings account program — which provides nearly $8,000 annually to students who attend private schools — and changes to funding for area education agencies that provide special education and other services to schools are "an attack on public education."

"It especially endangers rural school districts," he said.

Collins said in the candidate forum he supports the tuition program because it represents a small percentage of the state's budget for education, and he said no government agency — including the AEAs — "is above review."

Some Republicans had been critical of the agencies for offering services beyond their core mission of special education and for spending too much money for their administrators. The new law led to significant departures of agency employees.

Poulter said legislators should work to increase markets for Iowa corn, boost wages for nursing home caregivers and study the issues of mental health care and the state's high cancer rate.

Collins said during the forum that property taxes are a significant concern for his constituents and that lawmakers should continue to cut them. They have capped local tax rates and created partial exemptions for seniors and veterans in recent years.

Comments: (319) 368-8541; jared.strong@thegazette.com