Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 21 in Marion, Warren counties

Republican state Rep. Brooke Boden faces a challenge from Democrat Spencer Waugh for a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives.

The two candidates are facing off in the race for House District 21, which covers parts of Warren and Marion counties, including Indianola, Sandyville, Milo, Lacona and Knoxville.

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: Everything you need to know about the June 4 primary election, including voting absentee

Who is incumbent Brooke Boden?

Age: 51

Party: Republican

Where did you grow up: Indianola

Current town of residence: Indianola

Education: High school graduation and some college

Occupation: Self-employed

Political experience and civic activities:

• State representative for two terms

• Prior co-chair of the Republican Central Committee

• Member of the Elks lodge

• Active member of my church

Who is Spencer Waugh?

Age: 49

Party: Democrat

Where did you grow up: Rapid City, South Dakota

Current town of residence: Indianola

Education: 

• Bachelor of Art from Central College

• Master’s from University of Nebraska at Lincoln

Occupation: Educator at Simpson, prior high school teacher

Political experience and civic activities: National champion debate coach, actively involved with the Iowa High School Speech Association, Lutheran Church of Hope, 2024 National Speech & Debate Tournament local host steering committee

What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Boden: Lower the tax burden on Iowans.

Waugh: Education. It is foundational for our economy. It is foundational for retaining top talent here in Iowa and bringing families to our communities. It has been under attack and deprioritized for far too long in rural communities, and towns like Knoxville and Indianola.

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

Boden: I supported legislation to raise teacher salaries to the fifth highest in the nation and also raise paraprofessionals' pay. I have worked hard to ensure we are holding bad actors accountable keeping them away from our children. I ran a bill that requires schools to report grooming. I also ran a bill that made sure we can’t pass bad actors on to another school to avoid accountability. I have addressed several bullying issues making sure these incidents get reported. Next session I will work on protecting staff and students by working on whistle blower protections for teachers and staff.

Waugh: We must repeal the AEA bill, and bring all stakeholders together to work on a solution that supports students, families and teachers. It turns out that 160 minutes of debate in the House is not enough time to make sure a bill is ready to send to the governor for approval.

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?

Boden: I think we have proven that we can do both. We can lower tax rates and still provide excellent services. Going forward, we need to lower the rates. When Iowans have more money in their pockets they will invest that money back into our local economies.

Waugh: I strongly support tax cuts for Iowa’s middle class. This can be accomplished by creating policies that create growth, add population, and therefore add to our tax base. We need to find ways to make sure our young people want to stay here so that companies will have a vibrant labor force. This means good schools, strong infrastructure, and jobs that pay well. So I don’t buy that you have to prioritize one over the other. A good policy maker will bring businesses and increase revenues here in the state so that Iowans have the services they need.

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

Boden: We must address school safety from all angles. School resources officers in schools, gun detection technology and allowing only staff who work with law enforcement and have continuous training to access to their firearm in school. These policy changes will lower response times and will be the difference in lives saved if your children’s school has an active shooter.

Waugh: Iowa should prioritize mental health care so that all students have access. This means significantly increasing school psychologists and counselors, especially in rural areas.

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

Boden: We must wait for the Iowa Supreme Court to make a ruling.

Waugh: The Legislature should make sure that a woman can make that decision with her doctor, not with her elected officials.

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: What the candidates for Iowa House District 21 say about the issues