The two Iowa Democrats running for the U.S. Senate used their final debate before the June Primary to present themselves as the party’s best General Election option against Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, the likely Republican Party pick for the U.S. Senate.
State Senator Zach Wahls of Coralville opened by saying Democrats need to win back the trust of rural and blue collar voters. “I’m the only candidate in this race who has won and represented small town and rural Iowa,” Wahls said. “In this campaign, I’m proud to have won the support of 27 labor unions representing 30,000 hardworking, blue collar Iowans.”
State Representative Josh Turek of Council Bluffs countered that independent voters “will be the king makers” in November and he said they’ll respond a candidate focused on lowering costs and ending political corruption. “This is a once in a generation opportunity that we have here in Iowa to once against have a senator that is fighting for the people, fighting for Iowa and Iowans, not just the millionaires and billionaires and the large corporations,” Turek said.
Both candidates support raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans and both say it’s time to break up monopolies. Wahls said that’s particularly true in the meat packing industry. “The problem is that there aren’t enough Republicans to take on the president, like Ashley Hinson,” Wahls said. “…She’s just towing the party line.” Turek suggested a ban on grocery store mergers would help lower food costs and Turek said the federal government needs to provide incentives for first time homebuyers. “Housing is too expensive,” Turek said. “It’s too difficult. The only way we can have access to the American Dream is through affordable housing.”
Wahls closed the debate by suggesting that after losing all four U.S. Senate races in the past 12 years, Iowa Democrats need a new playbook for November. “As your United States Senator I will take on anybody who wants to write off our state, I will take on anybody who caves to Donald Trump and I will always take to end the corruption in Washington,” Wahls said.
Turek closed by saying the focus needs to be on middle class issues. “D.C. is broken because it is millionaires that are looking out for billionaires,” Turek said. “We need more individuals like myself, from a place like Council Bluffs, Iowa, with the lived experience to go out there and actually fight for the people,” Turek said.
Tonight’s debate was hosted by KCCI in Des Moines and Gray TV stations in KTIV in Sioux City, KCRG in Cedar Rapids and KWQC in the Quad Cities.
(This post has been updated to identify KCRG as debate sponsor.)