In the back of a Mexican grill in Manchester, state Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, Kathy Dolter of Asbury and Clint-Twedt Ball of Cedar Rapids gave prepared answers to questions on how they would work to improve the lives of Iowans while in Congress.
The event was hosted by the Delaware County Democrats and moderated by Al Womble, political director for the Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO and chair of the Iowa Democratic Black Caucus.
In a series of questions given to the candidates ahead of time, Womble focused on how each of them would try to appeal to independent voters, which make up roughly one-third of Iowa’s electors. He also asked how they would involve their constituents in decision-making and how they would help defend unions and workers’ organizing rights.
Many of the candidates' responses signaled their concern for a lack of affordability — for farmers facing high tariff costs and for families whose health care premiums are set to rise if enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act are allowed to expire.
“People are making impossible choices in our state because of their economic realities, and they are doing so in the wealthiest country in the world,” said James, who has served in the state Legislature since 2019. “I believe that all of us in this will agree that that is not right.”
Dolter, a veteran, nurse and educator, said Iowans deserve a living wage. She said she would also try to make the tax system friendlier to working families.
“Nobody can achieve the American dream of homeownership anymore,” Dolter said. “So, if you want people — the median age of homeownership just, for the first time, went up to 40 — to be able to achieve the American dream, we’ve got to put policies in place for that.”
Twedt-Ball, who founded and previously directed the Cedar Rapids nonprofit Matthew 25, said Iowans are facing rising costs of groceries and health care.
“We have to get those under control,” Twedt-Ball said. “We have to stop the craziness of tariff policies that are on-again, off-again and make it so businesses can’t even plan on how to make things affordable in the future.”
‘Health care is a right, not a privilege’
The candidates also emphasized their support for improving access to health care, particularly in rural areas. They heavily criticized the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes cuts to Medicaid and is expected to result in roughly 10 million people losing their health insurance by 2034.
“We need to shore up Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, the VA and rural health care systems on our way to universal health care,” Dolter said. “Because health care is a right, not a privilege.”
Twedt-Ball said Iowans receive different qualities of health care based on where they live in the state, and rural hospitals face unsustainable patient loads.
“We have to have equity in health care,” Twedt-Ball said. “It shouldn’t be that if you’re in one particular part of the state, you get way better health care than if you’re in another part of the state.”
James said rising health care costs are a challenge for Iowans who struggle financially, alongside child care and getting a high quality education.
“You know, [Martin Luther] King said, not only do we need to reach out and lend a helping hand, we also need to fix the road," said James, referring to the Parable of the Good Samaritan. “And fixing the road means putting our funding back in our public schools. It means making sure that every single person has health care, because health care is a human right.”
Candidates say labor is a 'top issue'
Womble asked the candidates about their stance on unions, people’s rights to organize, and their ability to secure fair contracts as federal unions face attacks and lose members.
“We have to do everything, from the PRO Act to pushing the laws that are already on the books, building up a real Department of Labor that has real power to fight for workers so that we can get back to the place where our economy is not built on funneling money up to the ultra-rich and billionaires, but it’s built upon the people that actually produce value in this economy,” Twedt-Ball said.
He added that his experience working with Interfaith Worker Justice allowed him to engage with labor unions in Chicago and immigrant workers at poultry plants in Texas and North Carolina.
James pointed to her endorsements from the American Federation of Labor, Teamsters and Letter Carriers unions as evidence of her commitment to workers’ rights.
“I have a 100% voting record with labor, meaning every opportunity when I could, I would stand with labor to make sure that there are safe working conditions, good wages, good pension retirements, futures, all of the things that workers need in order to build the life that they deserve and that their kids and grandkids deserve,” James said.
Dolter said for union rights to be protected, the PRO Act needs to be passed.
“No retaliation from union organizing efforts, no abilities of the employers to require all the workers to get in the room and listen to anti-union propaganda, no slow walking of time to election, no obstruction of contract negotiation, no stopping the right to work,” Dolter said.
She added that workers’ pensions and rights to strike without being permanently replaced also need to be protected, emphasizing her commitment to workers’ rights, health, pensions and jobs.
James, Twedt-Ball and Dolter are joined by Guy Morgan of Boone and Don Primus of Steamboat Rock in seeking the Democratic nomination in June.
Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta, state Sen. Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett, and former Housing and Urban Development Regional Administrator Joe Mitchell have launched bids for the Republican ticket. Independent Dave Bushaw, who lives in Hawkeye, announced his campaign earlier this month and held a kickoff event in West Union over the weekend.
