DES MOINES, Iowa — It's a full ballot for a house seat that could flip. Three candidates are vying to become the representative for Iowa House District 43. This district covers parts of Polk County, including cities like Johnston, Urbandale, and parts of Saylorville and Crocker townships.
The seat has been held by Republican candidate Eddie Andrews since 2021.
Despite repeated requests, Andrews did not sit down with Local 5 for an interview. According to his campaign website, if re-elected, he plans to continue his term supporting school choice initiatives, revitalizing education, prioritizing mental health and championing responsible criminal justice reform.
A statement on his website says in part:
"I believe we, as Iowans, can and must work together on real issues that make Iowans safe, prosperous, and respected. I'll lead that effort."
If Andrews wins the majority vote, he will be entering his third term.
Democrat challenger, Tiara Mays-Sims, is a provider relations and contract manager for a managed care organization.
May-Sims wants to put her focus toward education using her experience as a former board member of the education for Heartland AEA (Area Education Agency).
"I believe that public dollars belong in public schools, and I want to get to the capitol and really reform the voucher system that's been created. I think we're early enough right now that there's still time to take it away if we get the numbers, and the Republican party doesn't have the super majority that they do now," May-Sims said.
Tiara Mays-Sims says if elected, she will fight for women's reproductive freedoms and affordable and accessible health care.
Independent candidate, Brett Harvey Nelson, is also on the ballot, but this isn't his first election. He says he's been running for office since 1998, earning his political science degree at the University of Iowa. He shared that stances he's running on may not be the same as his fellow candidates.
"My biggest passion has been for the last 25 years is water quality. It's not some of the recent things going on, but water quality is becoming more and more of an issue," Nelson told Local 5 News.
Nelson didn't share any other issues he hopes to focus on if elected, but said he decided to run as an Independent because he believes the state legislature needs more spirit.
To see the extended interviews with the candidates for Iowa House District 43 you can do so through our streaming service We are Iowa+ It's free to install on your Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV Devices.