West Liberty Free Public Library

Sunday we were in West Liberty for a candidate forum with Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate Zach Wahls and Josh Turek; IA-01 U.S. House of Representatives candidates Christina Bohannan and Travis Terrell and state and local candidates. It was a packed house at the Carnegie West Liberty Free Public Library.  As you know the Trump administration is trying to drown public libraries in the proverbial bathtub. No wonder, since local libraries are a community’s hub where neighbors of all political stripes gather together for the common good.

The West Liberty library is beautiful.  We are regular RAGBRAI riders and we try to visit  libraries in the towns across Iowa  when we stop for a break. The local libraries are always bustling and welcoming to cyclists, offering information, cold water, air conditioning, a place to hang out, recharge your phone and last but not least, indoor plumbing. Libraries are also one of the pillars of democracy. So a shout out to libraries everywhere and the West Liberty library for hosting Sunday’s event.

It was a great day, loads of positive vibe, fired up democrats, good speeches, stories and authentic moments. Josh Turek joined the group at our table after the candidates were done with their remarks. There were introductions and hand shaking.  My husband, a retired community college dean who oversaw disability accommodations during his tenure was chatting with a former co-worker who shared with Turek about working with disabilities in the community college setting.

Josh Turek visiting with attendees.

The candidate running for statehouse in HD 82, (seat currently held by Bobby Kaufmann),  James Behrman, spoke of hard times for his family. He had lost a grandfather to cancer and he himself has had cancer twice. He abandoned his prepared remarks and said, “I am not a politician. I’m a person that cares.”  He said he is running for office because he could not comprehend why no one was doing anything about Iowa’s cancer epidemic. He approached Turek to shake his hand. Josh gave him heartfelt words of encouragement and told him to let him know if he needed any help.

James Behrman, candidate for HD 82

Zach Wahls‘ two moms were in the audience and Zach acknowledged them in his remarks. He spoke of family being about love. He gave a fiery speech and spoke of corruption and how the status quo isn’t working anymore. Making a case for term limits, Zach joked that as a new dad he now understands that “politicians are like diapers and should be changed frequently,” drawing laughter from the crowd.

Zach Wahls for US Senate

Josh Turek kept his remarks brief saying he preferred to spend the time listening to attendees’ concerns. He gave a scaled down, speedy version of his regular stump speech. He is the son of a Vietnam vet who was exposed to Agent Orange, causing Josh to be born with spina bifida. He spoke of the struggles – 21 surgeries by the age of 12 –  and triumphs, representing the U.S. in basketball at four Paralympics and earning 2 gold medals.

Josh Turek for US Senate

Christina Bohannan also gave fired up remarks. She impressed upon the room that taking back the House of Representatives starts in Iowa. She shared that her campaign was going to be holding volunteer canvassing trainings. She indicated that everyone was welcome at these trainings, even if they were supporting other candidates including her own primary opponent, Travis Terrel. Kudos to Bohannan for her leadership and recognizing we are all in this together.

Christina Bohannan for congress IA-01

Travis Terrel‘s speech focused on health care and lack of health care. He shared his mother’s story of needing a medication that will cost $1,000 per month. He said his mother is a low wage worker who could not afford to pay for the needed medication. He also spoke of work and said Democrats are the party of working people. He shared his belief that when our party stands up for workers they will come home to Democrats.

Travis Terrell for US Senate IA-01

The rest of the speakers shared common themes of taking back our country and fighting for public policies that will improve the lives and opportunities for regular people – health care, jobs, public schools, civil rights, access to clean water.

Nick Salazar and Michelle Servadio Elias are both running to represent HD 96, Muscatine county.

Nick Salazar for HD 96

Michelle Servadio Elias for HD 96

Tom Wieck is running for the Iowa Senate in District 41 to help make Iowa a better place for his children and grandchildren. He described a lifetime of hard work and community engagement. He is committed to prioritizing education, cost of living, water quality, and property rights.

Tom Wieck for Iowa Senate District 41

Everyone was on good behavior. There was no visible sign of inter-campaign snark between candidates or supporters.

I was proud to be a Democrat. Let’s go!