Two Republicans seek Iowa House District 54 spot on ballot

The race between Joshua Meggers, a trooper with the Iowa State Patrol, and Robert Nazario, a retired member of the U.S. Service provider Marine, options candidates who largely agree on points however have completely different priorities.

Earlier than the once-a-decade redistricting course of, the district included an space from Mason Metropolis to only north of Iowa Falls and simply west of Waverly. Now it encompasses all of Hardin and Grundy counties and stretches into the western fringe of Black Hawk County.

Meggers, 42, of Grundy Middle, has been an state trooper since 2005. He grew up in Buckingham, about 5 miles north of Traer, and graduated from Hudson Excessive Faculty. He acquired his bachelor’s diploma from Higher Iowa College.

His greatest focus is tax reform for companies. He believes decreasing company taxes would give companies the inducement to come back to Iowa.

“What I’m envisioning is, we’ve lowered company tax – introduced in companies, firms, and jobs,” Meggers stated. “You’d additionally improve the variety of staff within the state of Iowa, and produce households in.”

He stated the outcome could be extra youngsters in Iowa’s faculty system, which ties into his different most important challenge: strengthening colleges.

As a legislation enforcement officer, he additionally prioritizes public security in Iowa, saying he desires to incentivize recruitment for emergency service departments.

Robert Nazario, 58, of Iowa Falls, served within the Service provider Marines 36 years earlier than just lately retiring.

He stated crucial challenge to him is medical freedom and privateness. He’s an advocate for the Medical Privateness and Freedom Act. That laws would prohibit vaccine mandates and inquiries about vaccine standing.

Nazario additionally favors parental rights in schooling. That features selecting the varsity the place a toddler is enrolled and deciding what youngsters be taught in school. He believes LGBTQ+ subjects shouldn’t be mentioned in colleges with out parental consent.

Different massive points for Nazario’s embrace property rights and advancing pro-life insurance policies on abortion. He considers himself as a conservative constitutional Republican and stated the Republican occasion is “splintered.”

“Republicans have an awesome majority within the Home, however they should vote on a platform,” Nazario stated. “If all of us imagine in a celebration platform, there can be a powerful republic.”

Though Nazario’s and Meggers’ high priorities aren’t the identical, they agree on most subjects. Nazario didn’t discuss taxes however is a giant proponent of property rights. Meggers agreed mother and father ought to have a proper to decide on what their youngster is being taught at school.

Each candidates stated they’re robust supporters of the Second Modification proper to hold a firearm.

Meggers stated his work expertise could be useful in making a “stronger legislature.”

“I’ll go into Des Moines with an open thoughts,” Meggers stated, if he’s elected. “I feel that, together with work expertise with the state patrol, all my experiences put collectively could be extraordinarily helpful.”

Nazario says he’s a essential thinker and may communicate “with out a cloud of doubt.”

“My life experiences are excess of (Meggers’) 42 years, as a result of I’ve seen a lot extra and may relate to it extra,” Nazario stated.

There are at the moment no Democrats working in Home District 54. There may be additionally no incumbent as a result of final yr’s redistricting.

Underneath Iowa legislation, political events with a emptiness could maintain a conference to appoint a candidate.

A lot of the realm within the new District 54, together with cities like Reinbeck and Grundy Middle, is an element of the present Home District 50, the place Rep. Pat Grassley serves.