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Local elections largely uncontested, but Harkin and White deserve attention When Iowans go to the polls on Nov. 4, we have important offices in addition to the presidency to fill. Those elected to all national, state, and local offices make decisions that affect every constituent. First, at the national level, all Iowans must choose between incumbent Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin and his Republican challenger, Christopher Reed. Harkin has served as a senator since 1984 and has accomplished a great deal in Congress, including the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, which has helped many Americans with various disabilities to live more fulfilling lives. Reed, however, has no legislative experience. More importantly, he demonstrated a decided lack of character and judgment when he accused Harkin of being a traitor against America for speaking out against human-rights abuses at the US detention facility in Guantánamo Bay. Iowans should support Harkin to avoid sending a Steve King-esque embarrassment to the U.S. Senate. Also, here in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, citizens must choose among four candidates. First-term Democratic incumbent Dave Loebsack is facing three opponents: Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Wendy Barth of the Green Party, and independent Brian White. Loebsack has done a good job of advocating on behalf of his district in the aftermath of this summer’s unprecedented flooding, but he has otherwise not been particularly impressive as a congressman. Admittedly, first-term representatives can only accomplish so much; however, Loebsack has thus far failed to provide the superior leadership he promised when he ran against and defeated James Leach in 2006. Leach was exactly the sort of independent-minded person who should be working on this district’s behalf in Washington. Regardless of how his fellow Republicans urged him to vote, Leach always stuck to his principles. This included casting one of the few Republican votes against authorizing President Bush to use military force against Iraq. Despite having long survived in an otherwise heavily Democratic district, Leach ultimately fell victim to the general public backlash against the Republican Party. As a beneficiary of the 2006 Democratic takeover, Loebsack has failed to live up to Leach’s example, far more often choosing to simply toe the Democratic Party line. For this reason, we urge voters in the 2nd District to support Brian White in his independent bid for Congress. Like Loebsack, Miller-Meeks and Barth are typical partisans. However, White offers a refreshing alternative. He is fiscally conservative yet socially liberal, judging issues individually as opposed to accepting any party’s platform. In a heavily Democratic Congress, White could provide a unique voice for the 2nd District. Next are the state-level offices. Mary Mascher and Vicki Lensing are Democratic state representatives from Iowa City, and Dave Jacoby is the Democratic state representative from Coralville. Both Lensing and Jacoby are running unopposed, but Mascher faces independent candidate Chris Brewer. However, Brewer declined several interview requests from the The Daily Iowan and maintains an odd campaign site that focuses largely on an issue with school buses dating back to 2006. There’s no question that democratic ideals would be better served if Mascher, Lensing, and Jacoby all faced serious competition for their seats. But all three of them are hardworking representatives of whom their constituents can be proud. Both Lensing and Jacoby are business people who have direct experience with issues common to most Iowa City and Coralville residents. And Mascher provides a valuable community service as a school teacher, helping to maintain Iowa’s world-class educational system. Finally, there are the county-level offices. The three county supervisors up for re-election are Rod Sullivan, Terrence Neuzil, and Pat Harney. None face any opposition. Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek is also running unopposed. However, Johnson County Auditor Tom Slockett faces Hanna Gugliuzza, who is seeking to replace him. Slockett has been an excellent auditor for more than 30 years, so there is no reason to risk putting a person with less experience in this critical office. As is the case with the state representatives, it would be nice to see more serious competition for such offices as county supervisors and sheriff. But Sullivan, Neuzil, Harney, and Pulkrabek have all served their constituents well. Sullivan in particular has proven that his community is his top priority, consistently searching for ways to better life for those around him. The Johnson County supervisors deserve special commendation for their efforts during the disastrous flooding the region experience this past summer. Pulkrabek also performed admirably in helping to maintain public safety during that difficult time. Furthermore, he deserves credit for his support of a cite-and-release program that would stop wasting law-enforcement resources on jailing those apprehended with small quantities of marijuana. |