Deidre DeJear answers questions at Iowa Democratic gubernatorial forum

On Jan 22, 2022

Iowa democratic gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeJear speaks to supporters during the Iowa Unity Coalition gubernatorial candidate forum at the United Steelworkers Local 310 in Des Moines on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeJear spent about an hour answering questions at a forum Saturday, highlighting her views on health care, education, the economy and more.

Originally billed as a chance to view all of the primary candidates on one stage, DeJear stood alone as the only active Democratic candidate after state Rep. Ras Smith ended his campaign earlier this month.

It underscored a difficult moment for Democrats as they gear up for the challenge of toppling a sitting governor with a massive war chest during an unfavorable midterm political climate. Other high-profile Democrats chose not to seek a gubernatorial bid, and DeJear’s financial disclosure released this week showed an unwillingness by major donors to back her campaign at this point in the race.

“I am concerned about Democrats’ chances,” said John Chiles, a Waterloo City Council member who attended the forum hosted by the Iowa Unity Coalition, a political action committee that supports progressive candidates. “I think it’s an uphill battle.”

He said that as a candidate he learned he had to prove he deserved the public’s support, and he thinks Democrats broadly need to do a better job of reaching people.

“You can’t just think you deserve it because you are the candidate,” he said.

Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart addressed the group of about 50 people at the start of the event, urging Democrats to stay motivated in the face of a potentially difficult election year.

“I heard everyone say that, ‘Oh my god, this next election that’s coming is going to be dismal. If you’re a Democrat, it’s going to be dismal. Nobody’s going to turn out. No one’s going to do anything,’” he said. “Yeah, that may be the case if we quit and we give up.”

But he said candidates and activists “have to stay activated.”

“We cannot slow in our vigor and our fight for better communities,” he said.

Some of the Democrats in the audience said they’re approaching this year’s governor’s race with a mix of appreciation and support for DeJear as well as apprehension about Democrats’ chances broadly.

Hai Huynh, a Coralville resident who attended the forum and served as a panelist, said she thinks Democrats need to do more to reach beyond the “blue pocket” of support and unify across the state.

“You know, I’m hopeful,” she said of DeJear’s chances. “But I’m also a little skeptical with how Iowa is since 2012.”

Iowa has swung firmly in favor of Republicans in recent years, and it hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate or governor’s mansion since Tom Harkin won in 2008.

Huynh said it’s not just DeJear she’s concerned about, but Democrats across the state. “But Democrats continue to work tirelessly and work hard,” she said.

James Marren, a retired Des Moines resident and party activist, said he’s disappointed more people haven’t stepped up to support DeJear financially. She reported raising nearly $280,000 through the end of 2021, and she had just $8,500 in the bank.

“I think she’ll make an excellent governor because she’s very articulate, very knowledgeable,” he said. “She’s a strong woman with a good heart and I think she’s got the backbone. I think she deserves to be our governor. I really do.”

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DeJear answered questions from a panel and viewers on a live stream. She spoke about making health care accessible and affordable, including mental health care, dental services and more; serving communities of color and underserved populations by “meeting them where they are;” creating a more welcoming state for immigrants; and revitalizing Iowa’s rural communities.

She stressed the importance of this election.

“This is about the future of our state. This is about the future of our democracy,” she said. “We’re no longer talking about boots and bootstraps. We’re at the basic level — the very ground that our feet walk on. And right now in Iowa, we’ve got some cracks. We’ve got some fractures. In some areas, it looks like a winter Iowa road. But we’re gonna fix it.”

Responding to reporters’ questions after the event, DeJear said the days after her fundraising report were released have been full of support from other Democrats.

“We have seen just an overwhelming amount of support via phone, via text and on our Act Blue (fundraising site), which is incredible,” she said. “You know, after Rep. Smith got out of the race, we saw a great deal of increase there from folks who were waiting for the primaries to be over, and we have been slowly but surely getting those bumps. And so while the numbers reflect the end of 2021, in 2022 we are on fire. And I’m super, super excited. And I’m going to work every single day to dig deep to continue to raise the resources to meet people where they are.”