Iowa’s four incumbent congressmen are seeking reelection this year. In the second district, Democratic Congressman Dave Loebsack faces a rematch with Republican Christopher Peters.
Peters, who’s from Coralville, finished seven-and-a-half points behind Loebsack last time around. Peters said he got into that race late. just seven months before the 2016 election, so he launched this campaign in July of last year.
“Dave Loebsack’s a very, very nice fellow. I think he’s a decent guy,” Peters said during an interview with Radio Iowa. “He’s been there 12 years, hasn’t accomplished much. I think it’s time we try something different.”
Loebsack, who lives in Iowa City, is a former Cornell College political science professor. He routinely mentions the low interest federal loans and Social Security survivor benefits he received as a college student.
“I want to make sure that if you’re willing to play by the rules and you’re willing to work hard enough that you have exactly the same opportunities that I had when I was growing up,” Loebsack said on The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.
Peters, who’s been a surgeon for 30 years, said rising health care costs are the number one issue in the race.
“Patients need to be in control of their own health care and a representative needs to advocate for them, rather than the medical industry,” Peters said.
Loebsack said the greatest frustrations he hears are about the economy.
“People are still concerned about their jobs. They’re still concerned about how long they have to work to make any money at all and they’re not doing as well as they did before,” Loebsack said.
The Libertarian Party’s nominee in the second congressional district is Mark Strauss.
“I’ve just been tired of what’s going on in Washington. That’s why I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” Strauss said during a candidate forum earlier this month. “I’m tired of complaining and ready to start doing.”
Strauss is a businessman from Bettendorf.