Below is a mock ballot explanation for a Drake-area voter. The Times-Delphic reached out to every candidate for each position through press inquiries or contact pages found online, asking every candidate the same questions by email. Participants who did not respond to questions prior to publication have been noted, and the TD will update information online as candidates respond.
HOUSE DISTRICT 3 CANDIDATES:
Iowa has four representatives, also known as congressmen or congresswomen, to represent each of its districts in the U.S. House of Representatives. Drake falls within District 3. The representatives are elected every two years. Congress members have the power to introduce and vote on legislation, declare war, confirm or reject presidential appointments and conduct investigations. For more information, see Article I of the Constitution, which focuses on the Legislative Branch.
Marco Battaglia
Marco Battaglia is the Libertarian candidate for District 3 of the U.S. House of Representatives. His positions and background can be found on his website at https://www.marco4congress.com/issues.
Why should college-aged young adults vote for you?
Anyone of voting age should vote for the candidate that they think is going to do the best job serving the people of the district. I have shown that I will look beyond political parties and special interests to serve the people of the district, and I feel strongly that we could use this as much as ever right now.
How will you stay connected to your constituents during your time in office?
Whether I am elected or not, I plan to help work to make District 3 a better place for those who live here. If elected, I will be available to everyone that wishes to reach out to me via old and new physical and electronic means of communication.
How can Drake students stay updated or connect with your campaign?
You can easily stay in touch with me via your preferred method. You can link to me via social media or email or through the contact form on my website.
What issues addressing college-aged young adults would you address in your time in office?
Taxing and spending impacts us all, but I would argue it impacts the youngest among us and future people the most. I would like to see us take inflation head-on and reduce the debt that we are leaving for those that come after us. I would like to see us end the drug wars so Iowans can have access to helpful plants and fungi and new business opportunities. I would like to help work towards medical freedom and a functioning system of immigration.
What is one issue that you think voters should pay more attention to?
I think voters should study up on the money and war powers of Congress. Unless Congress feels the need to declare war, we should be a force for peace. I would like to see us focus on cleaning up pollution and cleaning up our superfund sites during peacetime. I encourage everyone to study up on these matters and to also encourage their state representatives to pass Defend the Guard legislation. https://www.lp.org/defend-the-guard/
Lanon Baccam
Lanon Baccam is the Democratic candidate for District 3 of the U.S. House of Representatives. His priorities and background can be found on his website at https://lanonbaccam.com/priorities/.
Why should college-aged young adults vote for you?
I know firsthand what it’s like to grow up here, to seek great opportunities and to desire a safe, affordable and prosperous future for my own family right here in Iowa. Young people and college students in Iowa want these same opportunities. In Congress, I’ll work tirelessly to do this by protecting reproductive freedom, lowering costs and overall [expanding] opportunities for young people here.
How will you stay connected to your constituents during your time in office?
I will serve as I have campaigned: by being visible and listening to the people in the communities across this district. I’ve visited all 21 counties in this district, most of them more than once. I’ve spent a lot of time in Polk, the largest county in our state, and I’ve spent a lot of time in Adams, the smallest county in our state. My family lives here, my daughter goes to school here and nothing excites me more than the opportunity to travel this district, listen to constituents and roll up my sleeves to get things done for them.
How can Drake students stay updated or connect with your campaign?
There are many great ways to stay connected with our campaign. You can follow us on social media, where we put out a lot of information that should help people learn more about me and my platforms. We also have some fun content that some Drake students may really enjoy.
What issues addressing college-aged young adults would you address in your time in office?
One issue that is essential to young adults and people of all ages is reproductive rights. I will do everything in my power to codify Roe v. Wade protections into law and stop a national abortion ban. It is not the government’s place to impede upon women’s health care rights or anyone’s health care rights in this country, period.
What is one issue that you think voters should pay more attention to?
We need to pay more attention to protecting Social Security and Medicare. Our seniors should be able to retire with dignity. People who paid into this system for their whole lives deserve to get what they earned. This is a no-brainer. We need to protect this now for our current seniors but also for the generations to come.
Zach Nunn
Zach Nunn is the Republican party’s nominee for District 3 of the U.S. House of Representatives. His priorities and background can be found on his website at https://zachnunn.com/issues/.
Why should college-aged young adults vote for you?
As a sixth-generation Iowan and Drake graduate, Iowans come first. I went to Washington to deliver real solutions for Iowans, and after completing several 21-county tours of our district, it’s clear that common challenges unite us: crippling inflation, high taxes, burdensome government red tape and the crisis at our southern border.
The status quo in Washington is critically broken, and I’m fighting to bring Iowa common sense to our nation’s capitol while we address these critical issues for Iowa families.
How will you stay connected to your constituents during your time in office?
Throughout my first term, I always put Iowans first. I participated in hundreds of events with Iowans, including dozens of open forums, across all 21 counties in the Iowa 3rd Congressional District. I will continue to listen to Iowans from every community in our district.
How can Drake students stay updated or connect with your campaign?
Students can learn more about our campaign by following us on Facebook, [X, formerly known as Twitter] or Instagram at @NunnforCongress! If you’d like to get involved to help us win, you can sign up at zachnunn.com/volunteer.
What issues addressing college-aged young adults would you address in your time in office?
The most important issue I hear from Iowans during my 21-county tours is ensuring stability when it comes to everyday necessities – having access to a good-paying job to put food on the table, fill up your gas tank and afford college. Recently, 40-year high inflation rates have been crushing Americans. We’ve had to pay $26,000 extra in just two years to pay for the same necessities. It’s unacceptable.
To address rising inflation, I’ve voted to rein in out-of-control government spending, reduce taxes for Iowa families and unleash American energy.
What is one issue that you think voters should pay more attention to?
Our border is an unmitigated disaster due to the open-border policies championed by the current administration. Even though we are not a border state, Iowans are paying the price for the Biden administration’s failed policies. We can’t keep footing the bill by paying for free hotel rooms, hot meals and college tuition for illegal immigrants.
We must address the border crisis — and reduce the burden on every community across the country. I won’t rest until we’ve secured our southern border.
IOWA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 34
The Iowa House of Representatives is half of Iowa’s legislative branch. The representatives work alongside the governor to create laws and establish the state’s budget. According to Ballotopedia, representatives also have the responsibilities of “passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.”
This year, Republican Danielle Duggan and Democrat Rob Johnson are running for the position. The TD has covered both candidates’ backgrounds and positions. See https://timesdelphic.com/ for more information.
IOWA SUPREME COURT RETENTION VOTE
The Iowa Supreme Court, a seven-member appellate court, reviews trial court decisions that allow appeals. They do not preside over trials, instead reviewing existing trials for significant legal errors. As the highest court in the state, its opinions are binding on all other Iowa state courts. It is responsible for enforcing procedure and practice rules in courtrooms. It has the sole power to allow people to practice as attorneys in Iowa courtrooms, to prescribe attorney conduct rules and discipline attorneys.
David May was appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2022. He graduated from Drake Law School in 1998. This month, he faced controversy for his vote to uphold Iowa’s new strict abortion laws.
Note: This is a retention vote, meaning that voters are deciding whether or not to remove him from office. If this candidate receives a majority of “No” votes, he will be removed from office at the end of the year and replaced with an appointment from Reynolds.
IOWA COURT OF APPEALS RETENTION VOTE
The Iowa Court of Appeals reviews appeals from trial court decisions. Unless the Iowa Supreme Court reviews one of its decisions, it is final. It does not preside over trials.
Note: These are retention votes, meaning that voters are deciding whether or not to remove each judge from office. If this candidate receives a majority of “No” votes, they will be removed from office at the end of the year.
Mary Chicchelly, an incumbent appointed to the court by Reynolds in December of 2021; Chief Judge Mary Tabor appointed to the court in 2010 by Gov. Chet Culver; Samuel Langholz, an incumbent appointed by Reynolds in 2023; and Tyler Buller, an incumbent appointed by Reynolds in 2022, are up for retention vote.
