Iowa Democrats talk reproductive health, term limits and upcoming election during Des Moines County banquet
It was not your typical love-hate political bash Tuesday when about 100 Democrats got together for their annual awards ceremony at Pzazz in Burlington.
The event — a party party, so to speak — was cancelled the past two years due to the pandemic.
Reuniting America, especially Southeast Iowa, was the underlying theme.
Former Iowa state senator Tom Courtney was presented with a lifetime achievement award for his work in Democratic politics.
"Everybody loves Tom," retired U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack said.
"All the local Democrats I've ever worked with were here," Courtney said after accepting his award. "We had candidates who are running for statewide and local office. We had some really rousing speeches as to why they'd like to try to save Iowa and make it a better state by winning the election."
The Iowa primary election is June 7. Keynote speaker and state Rep. Dennis Cohoon was joined by gubernatorial contender Deirdre DeJear, secretary of state hopeful Eric Van Lancker, secretary of agriculture candidate John Norwood, along with U.S. Representative candidate Christina Bohanan and U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Chuck Grassley.
Former 1st District representative Finkenauer covered her support for term limits and, like most of those present, discussed the Supreme Court's recent vote to reverse 1973's Roe v. Wade decision, which guarantees federal constitutional protections of abortion rights.
Finkenauer was nearly removed from the primary ballot earlier this year after a Republican challenge to her nominating petitions. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously in April that Finkenauer can stay on the ballot.
More: US Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer will appear on primary ballot, Iowa Supreme Court rules
Iowa State Rep. Bohanan, who is a University of Iowa law professor, pointed out that young people tend not to attend political party events like the one Tuesday.
"We have to go where they are," Bohanan said afterwards. "We can't expect them to come out to these kinds of events; this is not where young people live, it's not where they are."
Bohanan said she has several UI interns working on her campaign to help get out the vote among young people.
"There are a lot of things that are critical in this election that affect young people," Bohanan said. "There's the future of the state — making it the kind of place where people want to live, work and raise young families."
More: State Rep. Christina Bohannan of Iowa City announces bid to take on Mariannette Miller-Meeks
She said reproductive health care rights is going to be a huge issue for young women in Iowa.
"There are so many people who don't remember what it was like before Roe versus Wade," Bohanan said. "Now we are having to confront a very different reality. It's cruel to women to say we're going to think about forcing women to have babies at a time when our maternal health care is poor. Women in the workforce are struggling for basic rights."
Bohanan gave as example a single mother of four who was picketing on the UAW strike at the CNH Industrial Plant in Burlington.
More: Burlington members of United Auto Workers Local 807 continue strike as replacement workers fill in
"She has no sick leave. She cannot take time off to be with her children when they are sick. That's a whole set of issues we have to work on," Bohanan said.
She said Republicans should vote for Democrats.
"I think what everybody wants, regardless of party, is someone who puts people before parties and politics," Bohanan said. "Too many elected officials are putting their party before our country. To me, that is not what a good Representative does. We had great representation with (former Republican U.S. Rep.) Jim Leach, and with Dave Loebsack. They were from different parties but they both served with honor, they both told the truth, they both put the people of Iowa ahead of their party, and they solved real problems for real people. That's what we have to get back to."
Loebsack described Iowa as "a red state that hopefully becomes purple" and gave a moving tribute to Burlington native Elaine Baxter, a former Iowa Secretary of State.
Baxter died in 2021.
More: 'She was a Democrat's Democrat': Elaine Baxter, former Iowa secretary of state, dies at 88
"I believe that at base, Democrats represent what most people in Southeast Iowa want," Loebsack said afterward the event. "They want good living, and they want to do well for their kids, they want to survive and thrive in the middle class, get out of it if they can. And for those who haven't had much opportunity in the past, Democrats offer that opportunity more than Republicans by a long shot."
Loebsack said Democrats have to get out in person to regain traction in Southeast Iowa.
"A lot of what happened in 2020 is that Democrats, for their own safety and the safety of others, decided not to go out and campaign in person," he said, adding that he believes Rita Hart, the 2020 Democratic candidate for Loebsack's vacated seat, would have won if not for the pandemic.
"If Rita Hart had been able to (get out and campaign), she would have won," he said. "There's no question this district would be in Democratic hands."
Hart lost by six votes to Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
More: Here's how Iowa Republicans want to change elections, voting rules and recounts in 2022
Loebsack said Donald Trump won the presidency because some Democrats voted for him.
"A lot of people thought he was listening to them and hearing what they had to say," Loebsack said. "Democrats have to go out there and listen to people. We're not going to agree with them on every issue, and we're not going to win over all those people. But at least listen to them and hear what they have to say."
Finkenauer's opponents, retired U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Franken and the Iowa Democratic Party's rural caucus chair, Glen Hurst, were not present. Franken is scheduled to speak in Burlington on May 21 at Bent River Brewery.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Iowa Democrats convene at annual Des Moines County banquet
