It's a rematch in Iowa House District 42 as Garrett Gobble faces Heather Matson

Republican state Rep. Garrett Gobble is facing a rematch from Democrat Heather Matson for an Ankeny-based Iowa House seat this fall.

Gobble narrowly defeated Matson, a former state representative, in 2020, to flip party control of the seat. The two are both competing this year in Iowa House District 42, which includes the southern half of Ankeny.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal, statewide and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Early voting begins Oct. 19 for the Nov. 8 election.

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Who is Garrett Gobble?

Age: 27

Party: Republican

Where did you grow up? Danville

Current town of residence: Ankeny

Education: Bachelor's of History - University of Iowa

Occupation: Strategic Partnership Manager - Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates (iJAG)

Political experience and civic activities: State Representative Iowa House District 38 (2020-present)

Who is Heather Matson?

Age: 46

Party: Democrat

Where did you grow up? North Smithfield, Rhode Island

Current town of residence: Ankeny

Education: BA in Government - Western New England College; MA in Legislative Affairs - The George Washington University

Occupation: Self-employed

Political experience and civic activities:

• State Representative (2019-2021)

• Board Member, Ankeny Service Center

• Board Member, Ankeny Kiwanis Club

• Parent Member, School Improvement Advisory Committee

• Board Member/Vice Chair, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa (2017-2019)

• 1st Vice Chair, Iowa Democratic Party (2013-2015)

• Board Member/Chair, Planned Parenthood Voters of Iowa (2010-2015)

What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Gobble: Given my background and my passion for education, providing a quality education for all Iowa students, no matter their zip code, will always be a top priority of mine. However, right now, Iowans are struggling with historically bad 40-year high inflation. Therefore, my top issue will be to ease the tax burden on my constituents and ensure Iowans keep more of their hard-earned money.

Matson: My focus is on working for economic security and economic opportunity for every Iowan. Both are critical because life is about more than surviving, it’s about thriving, and I believe we need a range of policies at the state level that help people flourish.

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Iowans are struggling with rising costs and inflation. What can the state do to help them make ends meet?

Gobble: My plan to combat inflation and the pain Iowa families are feeling because of it is to continue to put money back in Iowans' pockets as we have done the last two years. It is not the government's job to find ways to spend overcollection, instead, it falls on the government to return overpayment to the taxpayer. By doing this, families are able to keep their hard-earned income and are better suited to combat inflation.

Matson: Lawmakers have an opportunity to lower costs and prioritize investments for Iowans so they can flourish. Child care is one of the largest expenses for a family, and is also an underpaid profession. We can expand child and dependent care tax credits and subsidies for families and increase wages for direct care workers. I support increasing the minimum wage as well as expanding programs for more affordable housing, which is increasingly difficult to find in Ankeny. We can increase investments in renewable technologies like solar and electric to incentivize innovation in our economy while also reducing energy bills for Iowans.

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What do you believe Iowa’s abortion policy should be? Do you think abortion should be banned entirely? Do you think Iowa should have no restrictions? If you believe there should be some restrictions, please be specific about the restrictions and the exceptions you support.

Gobble: As our family struggled through the pain of infertility, we were reminded just how precious life is. I believe our priority as a state should be supporting expectant and new mothers as well as improving our adoption and foster care systems to protect children and help them find their forever families. I also believe in exceptions to abortion restrictions in the devastating circumstances of rape, incest, or the risk of the life of the mother.

Matson: As a woman and a mother of twins, I believe the trimester guidelines set in Roe v. Wade struck an appropriate balance for the rights of individuals to make their own intensely personal health care decisions, which I fully support. Abortion is health care. Every pregnancy is unique, often challenging and sometimes dangerous, so decisions related to becoming a parent are best left to individuals in consultation with their doctors based on medical standards of care, not the personal views of politicians.

More:See where Iowa candidates stand on key issues in the 2022 midterm elections

What is the best way to improve Iowa’s education system?

Gobble: Our education system improves when parents, teachers and administrators all see each other as partners, working together to provide the best possible education for the students. Parents deserve to be in the know and not cut out from educational decisions being made for their child.

In addition, the state currently has many regulations on how schools spend their money. I believe school boards should have more flexibility to allocate funds in the way they think will best benefit their students. Also, more money needs to be freed up to be spent on teacher salaries and teacher retention.

Matson: The last decade of underfunding and recent efforts by some leaders to demonize the teaching profession has shaken Iowa’s strong foundation in education. Yet, I see innovation from dedicated educators in our public schools every day that we can foster. The Legislature must rebuild a culture of partnerships with school districts and educators, including restoring collective bargaining and taking local control seriously, to show they are valued and increase recruitment and retention. We need to provide timely, adequate and equitable funding to pay competitive wages, meet mental health needs, reduce class sizes, and offer a world-class education for every child.

More:Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 41 in Ankeny

What new laws, if any, do you believe Iowa should pass regarding guns?

Gobble: I will always protect the rights granted to us in the United States Constitution. I also see an opportunity for the state to incentivize responsible gun ownership. For example, the state could incentivize the purchase of gun safes and gun locks to encourage safe handling of firearms and protect firearms from misuse.

Matson: With the rise of gun violence, we must focus legislative efforts on common sense gun safety to protect all members of our communities. Common sense gun laws are also a way to support police officers from dangerous, highly-armed confrontations. All rights come with responsibilities, including universal background checks, permits and safety training, and limits on high-capacity magazines. I support keeping firearms out of schools as well as safe storage and extreme risk protection orders, with strong due process procedures, to ensure that guns don’t end up in the hands of those who intend to do harm to themselves or others.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the House District 42 candidates running in Ankeny, Iowa