Meet the candidates for Polk County's Iowa House District 45 in Bondurant, Carlisle

Republican Brian Lohse is facing a challenge from Democrat Anthony William Thompson in his bid for another term in the Iowa House of Representatives.

The two are competing for House District 45, which includes part of Polk County, including Polk City, Bondurant and part of Carlisle.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The primary election is scheduled for June 4 ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

More: Early voting has started for Iowa's June 4 primary election. Here's what you should know:

Who is incumbent Brian Lohse?

Age: 55

Party: Republican

Where did you grow up: Amboy, Illinois

Current town of residence: Bondurant

Education:

• Bachelor of Science, social sciences, University of Northwestern - St. Paul, 1991

• Juris Doctor, Drake University School of Law, 1995

Occupation: Owner of Brick Street Cafe and Brick House Fitness in Bondurant

Political experience and civic activities:

• Bondurant Planning and Zoning Commission

• Bondurant City Council, mayor pro-tem

• President of Bondurant Development, Inc. and East Polk Regional Development

• Board member of Bondurant-Farrar Education Foundation

• Iowa House of Representatives, 2019 - present

Who is Anthony William Thompson?

Age: 46

Party: Democrat

Where did you grow up: Our family’s century farm, just outside of Elkhart, in the central part of what is now House District 45

Current town of residence: Elkhart

Education:

• North Polk High School

• Bachelor’s in computer science, Cornell College

• Master’s in strategic leadership and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, Blekinge Institute of Technology

Occupation:

• Data scientist at Grower’s Edge in Johnston

• Small business owner, Prudent Produce

• Local food farmer, New Family Farm

Political experience and civic activities: Over the past 20 years, I have served in these roles at various times:

• Volunteer, Elkhart Community Betterment Committee

• Presenter, The Climate Project

• Vice president, Iowa Farmers Union

• President, Iowa Food Coop

• Board member, Iowa Environmental Council

• President, Cornell College Student Body

• Global Village team leader, Habitat for Humanity

• Little league coach

What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Lohse: Over my previous three terms, making adoption more affordable and accessible has been a significant priority. We have done much in that regard, passing a number of bills that I have filed. We still have work to do in this area, but its time I move my sights to workforce issues. The state has the enviable problem of, though being a great place to work and live, we have too few workers to fill the jobs that we have available. One of my top issues will be to think outside the box to attract workers to this great state and to keep young people graduating from their education from Iowa schools in the state of Iowa.

Thompson: The Iowa House needs to start working for Iowans again, because it certainly isn’t doing so now. We didn’t ask for school vouchers. We didn’t want to see AEAs dismantled. We didn’t ask the state to hoard billions of dollars in surpluses while our cancer rates skyrocket and our grandparents suffer in nursing homes the state won’t inspect. The Iowa House needs to provide a check on the governor and focus on solving the actual problems of Iowans.

What policies would you support to improve Iowa’s education system?

Lohse: It is imperative that we focus early on preparing students for life and that starts with proficiency in reading. That needs to be a significant area of focus. As students prepare to enter the work force, vocational training and other similar programs need to be a priority. Iowa has made major strides in this area. Continued focus and expansion of these opportunities is a must.

Thompson: I want our education system to facilitate kids becoming the best version of themselves, like it did when I was in school. Since that time, however, Republicans in Iowa have dismantled what was the finest educational system in America. Funding for our schools must be indexed to inflation, and the school vouchers scam that steals money from public schools must end. Public schools need access to financial efficiencies and support enabled by AEAs. Parents must be partners in their children’s education. We must not legislate curriculum, ban books, nor turn our education system into private profit centers.

What do you think Iowa’s tax policy should be? Do you believe the state’s priority should be on lowering rates or spending on services for Iowans?

Lohse: With billions in the bank and a sizable ending balance, it is clear that the state of Iowa takes in more than it should from Iowans. A health savings account and extra in the paycheck, just like for every Iowan, is also a must for the state, especially as we see weather events ravage communities. But we can and should put some of that tax money back into the pockets of Iowans. However, we must also balance that desire with a recognition that there are areas in the budget that we simply do not spend money on needs that Iowans have that should be spent. Some increased spending can go hand-in-hand with some decreased taxation.

Thompson: For years, the Iowa Legislature has been playing a dishonest shell game on taxes. They brag about lowering tax rates and building up billions in surpluses, while they starve Iowa schools and force impossible decisions between funding police, fire departments, public health, and other invaluable services. Everyday Iowa taxpayers like my family lose this shell game every time. Our grandparents understood that education and public services were a strategic investment in our future, not a cost center to be minimized. We need a fair tax system that makes those investments without punishing middle class families in favor of the wealthy.

What policies would you support to improve school safety in Iowa?

Lohse: Keeping our children safe in schools is a multi-faceted issue. Better mental health services, better cooperation and collaboration between parents and school teachers and administration, better use of resources for safety measures in the schools are all things that must be done. It will take all of us to address the problems that schools and communities face that result in safety issues in the schools.

Thompson: My girls are starting at North Polk, so school safety is personal to me. The data shows two things. First: a complementary approach to improve school safety is our best bet. This includes building supportive school communities through increased mental health resources, preventing bullying, and expanding community partnerships. Those supportive communities are complemented with increasing security through better threat assessment protocols, employing school resource officers, and coordinating with law enforcement. Second: arming teachers increases, not prevents, casualties. This is why there was a bill to limit liability: insurance companies know the risk of having guns in schools.

What next steps do you believe the Iowa Legislature should take when it comes to abortion?

Lohse: With the heartbeat bill currently in litigation before the Iowa Supreme Court, the next steps will be and should be largely dictated by the decision rendered by the court. Until that decision is rendered, it is difficult to say what exactly should be the next steps. However, as someone who, along with all of his siblings, was adopted before 1973, I am committed to protecting life and doing so to the fullest extent permitted by the Iowa Constitution, while recognizing that exceptions must be made to protect the life of the mother and in cases of incest and rape.

Thompson: All people deserve the right to make health care decisions for themselves, especially when it comes to reproductive care and abortion. A majority of Iowans, myself included, support reproductive freedom and believe that private health care decisions belong between a person, their family, and their doctor. If elected, I would work to implement a comprehensive reproductive freedom package because I want Iowa to be a safe and supportive state for my girls to grow up in.

Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at [email protected], at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the two candidates for Iowa House District 45 in Polk County