Iowa Democratic Chair focuses on listening

            Newly elected Chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, Derek Eadon, is aware that Democratic support in rural areas of Iowa have taken a dip in recent years. Since being elected to his position in January of this year, Eadon has made it a goal to offer an ear to those who may not feel his party is listening them to while touring the state himself.

            “It’s no secret that Democrats haven’t done well in Iowa in general, especially in rural areas in the last few election cycles,” Eadon said. “Part of why I’m in Sigourney today is to listen.”

            Eadon moved to Iowa City from his hometown of Elmhurst, IL in 2002, where he attended the University of Iowa and grew involved in politics starting in 2003. He started with a summer job for the Arthur Small U.S. Senate campaign against incumbent Chuck Grassley in 2004 and grew in interest. This lead to work with the Iowa Democratic Party in 2006 and working for Barack Obama’s early Iowa campaign in 2007 as an organizer. Eadon proudly served as the general election director in 2012 before moving to a consulting position for several non-profits for digital strategy.

            Now the Chairman of the same Iowa Democratic Party he worked for six years with between 2006 through 2012, Eadon hopes to learn about what his party needs to do differently in counties such as Keokuk and its surrounding neighbors to create a new message for voters.

            “I think our campaigns and messages at the top levels have been very focused on what’s negative about our opponents, why you shouldn’t vote for certain Republican,” Eadon said. “We as Democrats are trying to develop a message on why you should vote for Democrats; showing our values are strong, developing economic security for folks. Before we start on the campaign trail, we want to hear from voters on what their concerns are and talk to those involved in our party on what we can do a little bit better. Folks like myself only come a few months before an election and we need to do a better job of being out than that.”

            One of Eadon’s goals is to concentrate the party’s attention on local elections this next cycle as no federal elections are expected to take place in 2018. Eadon hopes that by listening to voters, he can understand their needs clearly.

            “At the voter level, we’re hearing a lot about the economy and jobs,” Eadon said. “People are anxious about their economic circumstances, whether its manufacturing that had left a town or the ag economy, people are concerned they are being left out of the process. When job development is discussed, it’s more talking about urban areas.”

            Education is also a popular talking point that people bring up to him, and one that Eadon feels goes with the economy. He discussed families that school systems are the first thing that people look to in a community, and if the state in general is attracting good teachers. Healthcare remains a big topic in the news with changes coming at the national and state level.

            “Will my plan still be available? Will the benefits I worked hard for still be around? There’s a lot anxiety there,” Eadon said. 

The following questions relate to issues discussed at legislative events over the course of the past year and were presented to Chairman Eadon on the party’s views

            Q: What are the party’s views on providing better communication services to rural areas?

            A: “Democrats are dedicated to either expanding broadband or expanding our communication networks to rural areas not only for education uses, but for healthcare as well to make sure record keeping can happen there. Having access to wireless communication also keeps rural areas competitive for in terms of jobs and businesses wanting to place there.”

Q MCOs and healthcare

            A: “In terms of managed care, I think it was a big gamble by the Branstad/Reynolds administration to administer this Medicaid process like they did. Handing this off to for profit entities has a lot of Democrats concerned and oversight is very key. They way you’re looking at healthcare, its not just about profit. It’s about preventative care and real people. It could be something we contest over the next few years.

People are concerned, especially with looking at what’s potential going to happen with the vote in the U.S. House in terms of the Obamacare replacement. People in Iowa are dependent on these services for basic healthcare. A lot folks are working very hard to get by and use these services to be able to get preventative care as well. Making sure the costs are affordable is not only helpful for the person, but for everyone because you’re able to get regular checks ups and find major issues before having to go to the emergency room. “

Q: Law enforcement

A “We need to hear from law enforcement about what their needs are and asking them what tools they may need from the state. Opioids abuse is increasing across the entire county. I think another thing we’re seeing is lack of mental health services and recovery services. There’s been talk of a lack of beds for people. There are still beds available, but they are in jail. They’re not getting any type of services on the front end. I was speaking with a former police officer and he said one of the reasons a lot of arrests because a lot of people with mental illness are self-medicating, and they tend to be more susceptible to substance abuse. Being able to take care of this problem on the social work side, rather than the corrections side is something Democrats are wanting to look in to.”