About six dozen people gathered at the Heritage Garden on Washington Street on Saturday to hear the speech of the Democratic nominee for Iowa governor Deidre Dzier.
Sponsored by the Des Moines County Democrats, the event was organized and coordinated by Richard EM Heron and Sherry Hutchcroft.
“I was disappointed with how Republicans are running the state,” Hutchcroft said, so he and Heron decided to bring DeZire to town.
After an introduction by Heron, who was wearing a “Fund Public Schools” T-shirt, and a heartfelt rendition of the national anthem by Emily Folker, founder of the mental health education advocacy Fingerprint Project, former Iowa Sen. Tom Courtney began Dezier and Illustrated its background.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Dzier and her family moved to Oklahoma before moving to Iowa. DeJear earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Drake University in Des Moines, where she lives with her husband today.
More:Unemployment cuts and garbage detection are just some of the new Iowa laws that take effect Friday.
“She’s a great candidate,” said Courtney, “We’re Not Going to Take It” as Twisted Sister stormed the room and Dezier stood up and entered an ovation.
DeJear credits Courtney, Heron and Hutchcroft and pointed to Iowa representative Dennis Cohoon, who was also in attendance.
DeJear made history last month when she officially became the first black major party nominee for governor of Iowa.
The 36-year-old businessman spoke on a range of topics, from voting rights to water quality to Republican Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa, but education and health care were key.
DeJear: Iowa leads the nation in education first and may do it again
DeZier told the crowd that Iowa had been No. 1 in education for years—the state is currently No. 18, according to U.S. News & World Report—because more than a century ago, long before the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. 1954 The Board of Education, Iowa declared that every child, regardless of race or gender, should receive quality public education.
“The Iowa Democrats are the party that lays the welcome mat,” Dezier said.
She said that her belief that Iowa could take the lead in re-education was “not based on a dream.”
“It’s not a figment of my imagination,” she said.
More:In Iowa, Nikki Haley says she will run for president in 2024 ‘if there is room for me’
‘Eovance should be a priority’: DeJear addresses health care, rural development
DeJear covered health care in detail, emphasizing the need for adequate mental health facilities and opportunities for youth.
She gave her own personal example: When DeJear was 8, her mother died three days after giving birth to her younger sister. DeJear credits the availability of counseling with helping him overcome that adversity.
“I wouldn’t be here today” if she and her family hadn’t been able to tap that resource, she said.
“People are going bankrupt for doctors’ appointments,” she said. “They’re going bankrupt on health care.”
DeJear said that as a small business owner, she was in business to make money, but not at the expense of the public.
“We’re not putting people first,” she said, “and that’s the biggest problem.”
DeJear reiterated her announcement speech that she wanted to expand access to affordable health care to all Iowans and focused on supporting development in rural communities.
“Priority should be placed on Iowans,” she said.
DeJear criticizes Reynolds’ efforts to limit abortion access amid childcare provider pitfalls
The Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade prompted someone to ask Dezier for his position on that hot topic.
DeJear said, “Most Iowans believe that it’s incredibly important for women to have the autonomy to manage a woman’s health care. And we have a governor right now who wants to do away with that option.” And wants to make that decision.” “We live in a pro-majority state where people believe that a woman should be able to walk into her doctor’s appointment, making a decision between her and her doctor that is in her best interest. , and that woman shouldn’t be contemplating the views of Kim Reynolds.”
More:Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds: No plans to call special legislative session on abortion
DeJear continued by saying that Iowa has lost nearly 40% of its childcare providers, which disproportionately negatively impacts women.
“Now here’s our governor saying, ‘Hey, ladies, when you go and make a decision in your doctor’s appointment, I want you to think about my opinion before you think about yourself.’ And it’s not a position that we should put any woman in any day of the week, especially in the state of Iowa,” she said.
Following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion, Reynolds on Tuesday called on a district court to lift an injunction on the so-called fetal heartbeat law, which she signed in 2018. The law, which would ban abortions after about six weeks. The pregnancy, however, never took effect and was declared unconstitutional in 2019.
Courtney said she believes the abortion issue is going to undermine Republicans.
“I think he’s got a good chance,” he said after the incident. “The issue of abortion has really weakened Republicans; Republicans have used the issue of abortion as a wedge issue for years, and suddenly, it has come to the fore – a lot of people are saying, ‘Wait. ‘Wait a minute; I didn’t know this was going to happen.’ Women in Iowa, and people in Iowa in general, think it’s a woman’s right to choose, and I think Republicans have bitten off a lot more than they can chew on here, and I think this fall. I will hurt them.
‘Fight for common ground’: how DeJear hopes to come out ahead of Reynolds
According to fundraising reports and election results, DeJear is trailing Reynolds on the campaign trail.
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll conducted in March showed potential voters supported Reynolds 51% to 43%, with a margin of error of 4%.
DeJear raised approximately $740,000 between January and May 14, at the end of the first fundraising period for 2022. Since launching its campaign in August, DeJear had raised a little over $1 million by mid-May. Meanwhile, Reynolds raised $1.28 million in the same time period.
More:Iowa child care workers may love their jobs – but pay, finances pose challenges for them and families
DeJear said he believes his ability to meet and connect with people will help him defeat his Republican rival in November.
“We have shared struggles and shared challenges across this state that transcend areas related to gender, related to race, urban, rural – whatever it may be,” Dezier said. “When we are talking about issues of education, health care and strengthening our economy, it is something that is connected with all parties. We want a strong education system. We are in a position to education. We believed in our No. 1 and we want to fight to get him back.”
The gubernatorial candidate told the audience that the way to re-engage people disenchanted with America’s political system today is to “fight for common ground” and added that every election is an important election.
“But you know this is an important election,” DeJear said with a smile.
“This election isn’t going to be about the ‘D’ on the back of our name or the ‘R’ on the back of our name, it’s going to be about the ‘I’ on the back of our name, and that the ‘I’ is going to be an independent. doesn’t stand for, it stands for Iovans,” she concluded.
The candidate received many rumbles as he spoke, but in perhaps the longest and loudest voice he said, “My question is, are you ready? Are you ready to fight for the future of this state?”
The audience made it clear that they were indeed ready.
