Where Iowa Senate District 14 candidates stand on key issues in the 2022 midterm election

In one of the top targeted races this cycle, Senate president Jake Chapman will face Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott for a West Des Moines seat.

Senate District 14 covers Adel, Waukee and parts of Clive and West Des Moines.

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 Jake Chapman?

Age: 38

Party: Republican

Where did you grow up? Adel

Current town of residence: Adel

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration

Occupation: EMT / Chief Operating Officer for Private Ambulance Service

Political experience and civic activities: Jake was first elected to the Iowa Legislature in 2012 and was most recently re-elected to the Iowa Senate in 2020. Jake currently serves as President of the Senate.

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Who is Sarah Trone Garriott?

Age: 44

Party: Democrat

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Cloquet, a small paper mill town in Northern Minnesota. Like so many in my district, I chose to build a life in the Des Moines Metro because of the job opportunities, great public schools, and high quality of life.

Current town of residence: West Des Moines

Education: I received a B.A. in history from the College of St. Scholastica, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Occupation: I am a State Senator in the Iowa State Senate, I am also an ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) and serve as the Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement for the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network.

Political experience and civic activities:

• I was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2020, and began my term in January 2021. I’ve committed myself to making state government as accessible as possible, helping Iowans be informed and encouraging them to engage.

• I am an active volunteer with area public schools and nonprofits.

• I previously served as chair of the board of directors for Luther Park, a senior living community and long-term care facility.

• I serve on the pastoral care advisory committee for UnityPoint.

• At DMARC I bring together the diverse religious communities of the metro despite differences to assist our neighbors in need.

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What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Chapman: We have had incredible successes over these past few years in lowering the income tax burdens on hard-working Iowans. From passing the largest income tax cut in Iowa's history to eliminating state tax collections on retirement income, Iowans deserve relief, and I am leading in those efforts. Yet, more needs to be done. Iowans are facing outrageous property tax increases. This next legislative session the legislature must provide relief from this burdensome tax as well. Two objectives need to be sought as we tackle this issue — predictability and affordability. Iowans need to know what their property taxes will be in the future, and it needs to be affordable.

Trone Garriott: Public education. We need to make sure that our schools stay strong. My family is not the only one counting on strong public schools for our children. Education is the heart of our communities and the foundation of our economy. Great public schools are the reason so many have chosen to live in my district. Unfortunately, years of inadequate funding and mean-spirited attacks on our educators have taken a toll. Our kids, parents, and teachers deserve better. We can do so much better with leadership that appreciates and supports public schools.

More:Iowa revenue will dip as tax cut begins to take effect, state panel projects

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

Chapman: Iowans are struggling with rising costs and inflation because of reckless spending by Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats. The best thing the state can do to support Iowans is to control state spending, eliminate needless regulations, and provide permanent tax relief to Iowans. Since 2017, Republicans have been responsibly budgeting and focusing taxpayer dollars on the most important areas to Iowans, such as public safety and law enforcement, and K-12 education. With fiscally sound budgeting practices and responsible spending, we can also continue to implement tax reforms, so Iowans keep more of their own money.

Trone Garriott: Too many in our Iowa State Senate believe the myth that people are just not working hard enough. The real problem is that our economy is not working for the people. Iowa has fallen behind neighboring states in worker compensation at all levels. In order to attract and retain talented workers, we need to raise wages so people can actually support their families. Too many Iowans cannot find quality, affordable child care so that they can stay in the workforce. As a state, we must invest in our child care infrastructure to ensure the people caring for our children earn a livable wage and that quality care is possible for every working family.

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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.

Chapman: Throughout my time in the Legislature, I have been a strong advocate for the unborn. As I have said before, without life there is no liberty, and without life and liberty, there is no pursuit of happiness. Iowa has made a lot of progress protecting life, including protecting the unborn at the sound of a heartbeat, eliminating taxpayer funding of abortion providers, and passing both a 24-hour and a 72-hour waiting period bills. Additionally, this year, we passed the MOMS bill, which provides more support for pregnant women with services to encourage the protection of life.

Trone Garriott: I stand for the right of Iowans to make their own deeply personal, private health care decisions. Reproductive health care choices should be determined by physicians and patients according to their unique circumstances and medical needs — not by a small group of extreme state legislators. We can do so much more to make Iowa the best place to be pregnant and raise children. I co-sponsored legislation to support maternal health and have advocated for basic needs assistance and public education so that every Iowa child can be healthy, safe and have opportunity. As we face an uncertain future for reproductive rights, I commit to always listen to the people of Iowa and protect our liberties.

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

Chapman: Over the past few years, we’ve seen parents get more involved in the education of their children. Getting parents involved is one of the best things we can do to help make our schools better. The next best thing we can do is give parents the choice about where their children go to school. This year, we eliminated the open enrollment deadline for students, this allows parents the ability to make the best decision for their child. Iowa has some tremendous public schools — that's why I send my children to public schools. Not every school is going to be the best fit for every child. I believe parents should be empowered to make the best choice for their children.

Trone Garriott: Our schools need to be fully funded in order to support our teachers, students, and families. State investments haven't met the rising costs of living and doing business, resulting in larger class sizes, cuts to programs, consolidation of schools, and falling rankings. Benchmarking school funding to economic indicators rather than leaving it to a politically motivated vote would let our schools keep up with the true cost of educating our children. But it's more than just policy. The vicious attacks on our public schools and educators must stop now. I'm running because I refuse to let our incredible schools and educators be insulted by lawmakers who are just looking to score political points.

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

Chapman: Like many other important issues, we’ve made a lot of progress on protecting our Second Amendment rights in Iowa. As with the life issue, I have been a strong defender of Iowans' constitutional right to keep and bear arms. This year Iowans have the ability to vote on an amendment to the Iowa Constitution to enshrine the right to bear arms in that document. Iowa is one of only six states that do not recognize our precious Second Amendment rights in our constitution. I believe passing it would be a huge step forward in ensuring our rights are not infringed.

Trone Garriott: A majority of Iowans and Americans support common-sense gun safety measures: red flag laws, background checks, permitting, age requirements, safe storage laws, etc. It is a significant responsibility to own a firearm. We can keep our communities safe and save lives by keeping weapons out of the hands of those who have demonstrated that they are a threat to themselves or others.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet Iowa Senate District 14 candidates running in 2022 election