Former teacher, state senator, and candidate for lieutenant governor, Rita Hart, has decided to run for office again. Tuesday she announced she's running for Congress in Iowa's 2nd District, which covers southeast Iowa and includes the Quad Cities and Clinton.
Hart grew up on a farm in northern Iowa, and now lives on one in Wheatland in Clinton County. So it's not surprising she wants to promote rural economic development.
"I love living out on the farm. I want people to have the choice and the ability to live where-ever they want in eastern Iowa. There's many people who want to live in these small towns and these rural areas, and it's getting more and more difficult and more expensive."
She believes health care will be the top issue in next year's campaign.
"People need to have access to health care and that's particularly true in these rural areas that I live in and many people in the Second District live in. Where we're struggling to have the transportation issues that get in the way of getting to that doctor or to that hospital."
Along with transportation, she says people living in rural areas often can't afford to pay for health care.
Hart says many people urged her to run after current 2nd District Congressman Dave Loebsack announced he will not run for re-election next year. Several other democrats, and republicans, are expected to enter the race.