Hart's political career extends to new role

Mar. 4—After being voted in as the Clinton County Democratic Party chair on Jan. 28, former Iowa Senator Rita Hart told the State Central Committee that she is focused on helping the party to begin winning elections again.

"To be very honest with you," Hart had written in a letter preceding 11 pages of proposals that she presented to the committee, "serving as IDP Chair has never been an ambition of mine, but I care deeply about the success of Iowa Democrats."

Hart was born in 1956 and raised near Charles City before going on to earn an AA from North Iowa Area Community College, a BA from the University of Northern Iowa, then an MA in Educational Administration from the University of Iowa.

The former teacher of more than 20 years in the Calamus Wheatland and Bennett school districts was elected for her first term in the Iowa Senate in 2012, representing the 49th district comprised of Clinton County and parts of Scott County. She was then reelected in 2014. Fred Hubbell named Hart as his running mate in Iowa's 2018 gubernatorial election, though current governor Kim Reynolds ultimately won the race. The 2020 congressional race then resulted in Hart's loss to Mariannette Miller-Meeks by just six votes, but still she serves on the Agriculture, Appropriations, Education and Natural Resources committees, founded and serves on the Clinton County Economic Development Coordinating Council, and is a member of the Clinton County Development Association board.

Hart was elected to the party chair by the Iowa Democratic Party's State Central Committee this past Jan. with 34 votes to 14 for Brittany Ruland and one for Bob Krause.

The wife, mother of five children, and co-owner of a family farm that she's helped to operate since 1986 where she resides near rural Wheatland joins first vice chair Gregory Christensen, secretary Paula Martinez, and treasurer Samantha Groark in a political climate where the Republican Party holds nearly all possible structural advantages during this presidential election cycle. There is currently no Democratic representation in either chamber of Congress for the first time since 1956, none in the U.S. House for the first time since 1996, only one statewide elected official for the first time since 1982, and the smallest Democratic contingents in the Iowa House and Senate since the 1960s.

"As a teacher, a farmer, a state senator, LG [lieutenant governor] and congressional candidate, I have seen time and time again how the policies our leaders implement affect everyday Iowans," Hart had written. "I want to be very clear about what I intend to do and the processes I want to begin on day one. I do not want to offer vague wishy-washy promises to earn your support and then have hard feelings when we misunderstood our promises to one another."

The vision statement went on, amongst other ideas, to elaborate on proposals to try a new fundraising model that would be expected to create a strong base for Iowa Democrats through many platforms, to hire more communications staff to generate more media coverage, target counties that voted in favor of both Barack Obama and Donald Trump twice, and on year-round organizing. Hart said during a speech at the Jan. meeting, though, that she is "under no illusion that this will be easy."

"I'm going to be calling on you," Hart said in closing just before the meeting adjourned. "I'm going to call Democrats all over Iowa to step up in various ways to put your talents to use. We're all going to have to dig deep to play our various roles, and I am so encouraged by the number of people who have already said to me, yes, what can I do?"