Republican Jerry Cheevers is running against Democrat Megan Srinivas to represent Des Moines’ south side in the Iowa Legislature.
The two are seeking to succeed Democratic state Rep. Bruce Hunter, who is retiring at the end of his term, for the seat in the redrawn Iowa House District 30. Cheevers has run unsuccessfully against Hunter in two previous campaigns. Srinivas won June’s Democratic primary, defeating Democrat Eddie Mauro.
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 appear in alphabetical order by last name and have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Cheevers did not respond to the Register’s request to fill out a questionnaire.
Early voting begins Oct. 19 for the Nov. 8 election.
More: A guide to voter rights in Iowa. What you need to know before you cast a ballot
Age: No response
Party: Republican
Where did you grow up? No response
Current town of residence: Des Moines
Education: No response
Occupation: No response
Political experience and civic activities: No response. Cheevers previously ran for the Iowa House in 2018 and 2020.
Age: 35
Party: Democrat
Where did you grow up? Fort Dodge
Current town of residence: Des Moines
Education:
Occupation: Physician
Political experience and civic activities:
Cheevers: Did not respond.
Srinivas: I became a doctor to help my community, but so many of the challenges that my patients and neighbors face are systemic problems that I cannot solve with my prescription pad. The reason I’m running is to address those issues, the social determinants of health that keep people from living the quality of life they deserve. This includes making sure people have access to the things that they need to succeed, such as food, housing, transportation, good jobs, and education. All of these factors are critical to one’s health, and I will advocate for my community using this holistic approach.
More:Where Sonya Heitshusen & David Young stand on key issues in the House District 28 race
Cheevers: Did not respond.
Srinivas: We need to bolster our small businesses, especially after the economic hardship of the last few years. I’ll also work for all Iowans to have access to a living wage protect pensions, including IPERS and 411, so workers enrolled in these plans remain secure in their retirement. Additionally, affordable childcare is a hurdle for many in the workforce. We must support childcare businesses in the face of rising operational costs that caused many to close over the pandemic. We can also adopt an income-based tax credit to create affordable childcare options. These upfront investments to create viable childcare options will spur economic growth for the state.
Cheevers: Did not respond.
Srinivas: As a physician, I strongly believe that an individual’s healthcare decisions are their own and should only be discussed with their medical team. I’ll advocate for an individual’s right to abortion care. I’ll also fight against efforts to remove insurance coverage for contraception and family planning. In 2017, our state stripped family planning health centers of public funding if they are affiliated with an abortion provider or even discuss abortion as a healthcare option. One of my goals is to reverse this policy and improve delivery of reproductive health services in every part of our state.
More:Where Iowa House District 27 candidates Kenan Judge & Kristen Stiffler stand on key issues
Cheevers: Did not respond.
Srinivas: We need to increase our supplemental state aid (SSA funding) to public schools to not just meet inflation, but to make up for the underfunding of the last decade. We need to change the narrative from our legislative leaders about our teachers and school staff, recognizing the critical and hard work they do rather than attacking them. We can improve teacher recruitment and retention by increasing teacher pay and creating programs to help with education loans for individuals teaching in high-need areas. We also must properly fund our public universities and community colleges. Additionally, I’ll advocate to reinstate vocational curricula into schools.
More:Meet Todd Halbur & Rob Sand, running for Iowa state auditor in the 2022 election midterms
Cheevers: Did not respond.
Srinivas:
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