To the editor,
On January 18, I announced my intention to be a candidate for the Iowa House and it has been a wonderful journey. I have met folks from all parts of Greene and Boone County that I likely never would have had the opportunity to meet or interact with. I joined the Boone County Chamber of Commerce and the Greene County Chamber of Commerce, attended a number of pancake breakfasts, lunches, and suppers hosted by a variety of groups like Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, several different churches and knocked so many doors that I have lost count.
Most of these conversations involved several issues with major impact in our communities. Protecting IPERS, how to better fund our schools, the disastrous Medicaid privatization impacting patients and our local rural hospitals/EMS providers.
From law enforcement officials and family members, access to mental health is probably the #1 issue. Funding Iowa clean water initiatives is also a constant discussion item and bipartisan, this issue should have been settled almost a decade ago. Our current Representative Chip Baltimore took his party on this issue and was defeated. I will take up the fight for clean water. Most of the Iowans in this district that I have talked to are looking for a change from the current administration.
Since starting our campaign, we have outpaced our opponent’s campaign in unique donors, over 3 to 1. We lead in donors from Iowa with an over 3 to 1 advantage. Finally, when looking at donors from House District #47, we lead 3.6 to 1. We are running a campaign that is funded LOCALLY!
One of the toughest conversations I have had as a candidate was when I decided to not send out two negative mailers.
I have seen a lot of negativity aimed towards my campaign lately and asked several members of my “kitchen cabinet” what they thought. To a person, they encouraged me to not run the ugly divisive mailers in response. In the end, I decided to respect the voters and not send them. I even talked to Democratic Leader of the Iowa House Mark Smith and let him know I would not be changing my mind. If you would like to verify this, my local staffer, whose salary is paid by the Democratic Party of Iowa (and who was in on the call), stated “you certainly have reaffirmed my sense of integrity in politics by that decision.”
The community support I have received has been overwhelming. Of 15 letters to the editor in support of me, only one (that I am currently aware of) mentioned my opponent. Donovan Olson from Boone was our representative in the Iowa House prior to Mr Baltimore. He did his own research on my opponent and wrote down his thoughts, based upon his experience as a legislator.
Running for office is hard work, even more so during harvest time. This week alone, I have been to three different organizations and/or church meal fundraisers, went trick-or-treating in the town of Ogden, and did a radio interview from our semi-truck. We have finally finished harvest, and I am spending my final campaign hours door-knocking and putting up signs.
Thank you all for the opportunity to run for office and represent you in the Iowa Legislature. Thanks to my fellow candidates Phil Thompson and Patrick Shaw for putting their names on the ballots.
I am proud of the race we have run and have done my best to keep it a clean race. Because after Election Day, no matter the result, we will still be friends and neighbors working through another harvest and raising our families together.
David Weaver, Rippey, IA
