Meet the candidates running for Iowa's Senate District 24 in Perry, Boone

Two candidates are running for Iowa Senate District 24, which represents parts of Dallas County, including Perry, and Boone County, including Boone.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Jesse Green and Democrat Margaret Liston are running for the seat.

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 Jesse Green (incumbent)?

Age: 39

Party: Republican

Where did you grow up: Harcourt

Current town of residence: Boone

Education: Southeast Webster High School and Emmaus Bible College

Occupation: Farm

Political experience and civic activities: Webster County Farm Bureau/treasurer & chair of Dayton Rodeo for six years/junior high Bible teacher for three years at Community Christian School Fort Dodge. Currently I volunteer at Trinity Lutheran School in Boone and serve on the Central Iowa Expo Board. First elected to Iowa Senate in 2020.

Who is Margaret Liston?

Age: 69

Party: Democratic

Where did you grow up: Beaver

Current town of residence: Ogden

Education: GED from Harlan, surgical technology from DMACC, Associate Degree in nursing from DMACC, Bachelor of Science of nursing from University of Phoenix. Masters in Public Administration from Drake

Occupation: Ogden City Council

Political experience and civic activities: City Council, numerous volunteer initiatives in Boone County and the city of Ogden

What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Green: Property tax relief.

Liston: Fully funding Iowa's public education and their AEAs so that we can once again be first in the nation in public education.

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

Green: We must keep supporting policies that support higher teacher pay and lowers class sizes. Studies are showing that the old target of 18-22 students per class is too high. Also I believe we can do more to allow more flexibility and responsibility for school boards with how they can spend their property tax dollars. We can't have a real conversation about property tax reform without talking about reforming the school funding formula. As I examine other states, my appreciation for how many elected school boards and districts we have in Iowa grows. We must allow these elected board members to have more responsibility. We do have a great formula but that doesn't mean we can't make it better.

Liston: Fully funding our public schools, eliminating the private school voucher program, restoring local control to our communities, and making sure our schools are safe. Ensuring that the state government respects the public education system and its tremendous professionals.

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?

Green: Tax policies should be focused on attracting business and workforce which broadens the tax base. High quality services should always be our focus and responsible tax policy complements that.

Liston: I believe that we can do both — Iowa's system of taxes benefits the rich and corporations while doing little for our middle-class workers. I would advocate for a fair tax system that lowers the burden for Iowa's working families while having enough revenue coming in to fund our public services while investing in the future of our state.

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

Green: Continual assessments of every school's security and making certain that those needs are addressed and funded. We have already done so much in this regard. School security ties back into the first education question. I believe data shows that class sizes need to be smaller than what studies used to indicate due to the increased needs of our students today. More one-on-one time with teachers will help identify potential issues the students are facing and allow schools to address them more adequately.

Liston: Perry is in my district and I was born there, so this issue hits close to home. No parent should ever have to worry about if their child will be the victim of a school shooting. To improve school safety, I would ensure that schools provide top-notch mental health services to the students and work with every district to have a school resource officer present to protect the kids in case anything happens.

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

Green: We must see how the court rules on the heartbeat bill, which I supported, before this question can be answered completely. I supported it because I believe most of our society understands that a heartbeat signifies that a life is present, which we should always protect and the law should reflect this. We must always protect and support the life of the baby as well as support the health and well-being of the mother, the exemptions within the bill reflect this balance as well as our other legislation that we have passed to increase support to new mothers. I will always fight for life at conception with exemptions for the health of the mother.

Liston: I would return Iowa to the standard set by Roe vs Wade. The six-week ban being heard by the Iowa Supreme Court is out of touch with where Iowans are at on this issue. Another example is that the current law is nine weeks more conservative than the position of former Vice President Mike Pence, which shows how extreme the abortion law supported by Iowa Republicans is.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Who is running for Iowa's Senate District 24 in Perry, Boone