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Letter to the Editor: Sarah Smith

With the results of the 2022 Iowa Primaries in, I congratulate Rep. Dean Fisher on his success and I thank Rep. Dave Maxwell for his common sense leadership over the past decade. Now that I know who I’m running against, I want to present how I distinguish myself from him.

My platform emphasizes the protection of human dignity, whether we are addressing issues of bodily autonomy, accessibility of basic services like education and healthcare, hunter’s rights, or livable wages and working conditions for all Iowans.

Specifically, I have five groups of issues I wish to target: supporting Iowa’s working families, economic development and land stewardship, rural education, gun ownership, and women’s healthcare.

To support Iowan households and families, I aim to introduce legislation to target wage stagnation, insufficient workplace benefits, unemployment, and inadequate medical leave policy.

The economic and property issues plaguing rural Iowa are also deeply troubling. When in office, I will take steps to jumpstart initiatives permitting landowners to repurpose their less fertile land for other uses. I will also object to efforts to use eminent domain to take the property and land of hardworking Iowans for selfish corporate interests.

Sarah Smith (D) - House District 53 race

Rural Iowa has suffered from a continuing lack of investment in our educational system, leaving many schools to make cuts to their budgets. I aim to support our children and our families by proposing budget plans allocating money to properly fund rural K-12 education. I will level the playing field for our children and ensure our schools and childcare facilities have the funding and resources to give our children the best futures possible.

The levels of gun violence this nation faces are unparalleled. I aim to give Iowans what they want: universal, mandatory background checks for individuals seeking to own a gun. This has been a very popular policy for years, but nothing has been done to actualize it.

Finally, I aim to address the healthcare gaps Iowans face. Whether it is topics of sex education, contraception, or abortion, too many issues surrounding the health and well-being of women have been made taboo. Ensuring that women have access to life-saving medical care by way of upholding an individual’s right to abortion will be protected in my term in office.

The well-being of Iowans is my top concern, and my only goal – if I have the privilege of being elected – will be to serve my constituents. I wish my opponent the best, and I hope to earn your vote this November.

Sarah Smith

Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 53

Grinnell, Iowa