James McCullagh, Republican candidate for Iowa Senate District 38. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Ahead of the June 4 Primary Election, Tama-Grundy Publishing sent questionnaires to all three candidates running for the Republican nomination in Iowa Senate District 38 including James McCullagh of Cedar Falls, Steve Schmitt of Waterloo, and Dave Sires of Cedar Falls. The district is currently represented by incumbent Democratic Sen. Eric Giddens of Cedar Falls who is in his first full term.

District 38 includes parts of Tama, Black Hawk, and Benton counties including the northeast corner of Tama County covering Traer, Dysart, and Buckingham; the Black Hawk County communities of La Porte City, Cedar Falls, Hudson, Evansdale, Elk Run Heights, Gilbertville, and Washburn; and a sliver of Benton County including Mount Auburn.

The winner of the June 4 Republican primary will run in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

Dave Sires’ Q&A was published in last week’s print edition and online. As of press time, candidate Steve Schmitt had not returned his questionnaire.

James McCullagh

Age: 49

Residence location: Cedar Falls

Profession: Electrical Engineer and Entrepreneur

Education: Northern University High School in Cedar Falls Class of 1994. PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan

Family: Single

1) Why do you want to be a state legislator? What is your primary motivation for running?

I would like to serve this district that has been my home since I moved here with my family at the age of 5. Also, both my grandfather and father served in the military. My grandfather was a medical doctor who served in Europe in WWII, and my father was a Korea-era war veteran who served in Germany. I deeply appreciated their commitment to service and our country. I believe being a state senator is the best way I can serve.

2) Have you previously run for elected office? If so, for what office(s) and did you win?

I have never run for elected office before.

3) What distinguishes you from the other candidates in your primary race?

I am a political outsider that will not be encumbered by divisive past local political battles focused in Cedar Falls and Waterloo where my opponents were on the city council. I will come with a fresh perspective that allows me to find ways to unify this district both in the rural and urban areas. I have knocked several thousand doors in every county and city in this district, so that I can represent our district’s concerns.

Additionally, I have worked in multiple settings including industry as an engineer designing circuits for hard drives, as a researcher in academia, and as an entrepreneur. This district is very diverse, containing one of Iowa’s three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. Other areas focus on agriculture such as in Tama and Benton County. My background best suits me to represent this entire district.

4) What challenges does District 38 – a rural-urban district – face today that you would like to see addressed by the state legislature? If elected, what would you do to help address those challenges?

I believe our challenges unite us in this rural-urban district. A small business can be a family farm in rural Tama county or it could be a tech start-up in Cedar Falls. However, making sure taxes are reduced and simplifying our tax code will benefit the entire district. This includes everything from eliminating capital gains tax to capping property taxes.

Additionally, Iowa has been under threat by the use of eminent domain to forcibly take farmers land and install a dangerous carbon transport pipeline. I have been endorsed by state representative Charley Thomson who is leading the legal challenge against this pipeline. He will be an excellent partner that I can work with in the state legislature to protect farmer’s land and keep us safe.

Finally, we must make sure our public universities and institutions are serving our state such as the University of Northern Iowa in this district or Hawkeye Community College nearby. This includes making sure they are run with fiscal responsibility, tuition is reasonable, and students are trained in marketable fields such as agriculture and engineering. Also, we must ensure our public universities don’t go off the deep end with divisive left-wing politics and conservatives have a strong voice in our universities.

5) Where do you stand on funding for public schools – is it adequate or otherwise?

It is not so much that funding is inadequate, it is that funding is misused. I have campaigned on education reform. For K-12 this means capping and cutting high paid administrators’ salaries while attracting qualified teachers and paying them well. It means focusing on student’s outcomes. At the university level it means simply having a seat at the table. Without a Republican senator representing UNI, our voices are not heard and meaningful programs are not funded at UNI.

6) Would you have voted ‘yes’ for the Area Education Agencies (AEAs) reform legislation (which also included raising teacher pay) recently signed into law by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds? Please explain why or why not you would have voted that way.

I would have voted ‘No’ for the Area Education Agencies (AEA) reform legislation. When I knock doors this legislation is the single greatest concern among Republican voters. Many voters expressed deep appreciation for the work AEAs have done with their family members, and they are concerned that there will be a reduction in services, especially in rural areas. Also, there was a great deal of confusion with multiple significantly different bills considered and a last-minute agreement. This AEA bill should have gone back to the voters and much discussion and explanation was needed rather than having the bill passed at the last minute. When elected, I will work with other senators and our Governor to make sure crucial services for Iowa families are not eliminated in both the rural and urban parts of this district.

On a personal note, my mother worked as a school social worker for AEA 7 for decades. She would often travel to rural areas in Northeast Iowa to help children with learning disabilities. I’m fully aware of the important work AEAs do for families in Iowa.

7) State Sen. Eric Giddens (D-Cedar Falls) who currently represents District 38 is considered a strong leader in his party; he is one of three assistant leaders in the Iowa Senate Democratic Caucus. Why are you the candidate Republicans should vote for to take on Sen. Giddens in the 2024 General Election?

My background in industry, academia, and business allows me to be comfortable and work in all parts of this district. For example, I attended UNI and both my parents taught at UNI. My father taught there for 40 years. I myself have been a researcher in academia and will know how to work with universities. I will best understand the issues affecting universities. However, I remember my grandfather, who was a country doctor and lived in Iowa and Missouri. As I joined him, I was always deeply comfortable in rural settings. Knocking doors and listening to voter’s concerns has helped me understand how to represent the rural parts of this district.

While redistricting has made this district more advantageous to Republicans, Republicans should not underestimate Sen. Giddens. We need a Republican who will make this race their highest priority and is not encumbered by political baggage solely focused on urban municipal politics.

8) In one sentence, why should people vote for you on June 4, 2024?

I am deeply grateful for the well over a thousand conversations I’ve had with voters over many months, and I believe I’m the best candidate who will work to represent your concerns.