Wahls is our best bet to beat Hinson

I’ve watched a lot of campaigns in Iowa. I’ve knocked on a lot of doors, sat at a lot of kitchen tables, and heard the same frustration from Democrats, independents, and even plenty of Republicans: the system feels rigged, and the people in Washington keep getting richer while everyone else is left to scramble.

That frustration is real. And it’s why I’m supporting Zach Wahls for the United States Senate.

I know something about being counted out in Iowa politics. In 2006, I ran for Congress and won a huge upset that helped Democrats flip control of the House. Plenty of people said I couldn’t win and that I didn’t fit the usual mold but we proved them wrong.

Then, after redistricting in 2011, I ran for re-election after moving to Iowa City. The pundits asked how a Democrat from Johnson County could win in a district that had dramatically moved to the right. And by the time of my last election in 2018, the district had shifted solidly in the Republican direction.

But Iowans proved winning isn’t about where you’re from or what has happened in past elections. It’s about whether voters believe you understand their lives, whether you’ll show up and listen, and whether you’ll fight for them when the powerful interests come calling.

That’s what I see in Zach.

Zach isn’t using the failed DC-consultant playbook. He’s out across Iowa, meeting people where they are — small towns, union halls, VFWs, diners, living rooms. He talks like a real person, he listens like a neighbor, and he’s focused on the things that actually shape a family’s day-to-day life: the cost of groceries, the cost of health care, the cost of housing, the cost of raising kids, and the pressure that never seems to let up.

Those costs keep climbing because corruption has become the business model in Washington.

Ashley Hinson has built a career protecting that corrupt status quo — taking care of insiders and special interests while Iowa families pay the price. She’ll give a good speech, take a photo, and then head back to Washington to do what her donors want. That’s not leadership.

In the Iowa Senate, Zach has taken on powerful interests. He’s pushed to ban politicians from insider trading. He fought out-of-state corporations raising rent on mobile home residents. He’s shown he’ll take on corruption — even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it upsets people in his own party — because he believes public service should mean serving the public.

Corruption is the issue that breaks through party labels. Independents and Republicans may not agree with Democrats on everything — but Iowans know when we’re being played. We can see who’s cashing checks and who’s showing up.

I’ve been there. I’ve seen how fast the “can’t win” talk falls apart when voters meet a candidate who earns their trust.

Zach is earning that trust. He has the vision, the grit, and the backbone Iowa Democrats need — and the anti-corruption message that can bring more people to our side.

If you want a Democrat who will take on Ashley Hinson and fight to lower costs and clean up this broken system, Zach is the choice.

Former Democratic Congressman Dave Loebsack represented Eastern Iowa’s 2nd District from 2007 to 2021.