Des Moines, IA- State Senator Nate Boulton, Democratic candidate for Governor, visited 26 rural Iowa counties in seven days during his Hometown Values Tour last week. Through 13 separate listening posts and meet and greets, over 150 Iowans shared their concerns about the quality of life in small- and mid-sized communities, and voiced their disappointment in the Reynolds Administration’s prioritization of corporate giveaways over education funding and investment in rural Iowa. Senator Boulton also toured a community college, independent college, public high school, the Cherokee Mental Health Institute, two rural hospitals, three main streets, a small business, a farmers’ market, and a county park. Across all of Senator Boulton’s stops he heard about the need to invest in improvements for Iowa communities, fully fund public education, and support Iowa’s public employees such as local firefighters, police officers, social workers, teachers, and others.
Nate Boulton made the following statement when reflecting on his Hometown Values Tour:
“Having grown up in a small rural town, Columbus Junction, and representing an urban district in the State Senate, I can see that much of the urban/rural divide that many people believe is a problem in our state, is simply perception,” said Boulton. “In reality, my mom and step father who still live on a heritage farm are just as concerned with water quality, good-paying jobs, and workers’ rights as the residents of my more urban district. This Hometown Values Tour solidified that belief as Iowans shared their concern over Kim Reynolds’ fiscal mismanagement and prioritization of corporate profits over the quality of life of Iowans in small- and mid-sized communities. Our state must get back to our shared values and invest in our people again to secure our state’s long-term economic future; to ensure that our workforce continues to be the most skilled, educated, and productive workforce in the world to drive our economy rather than rely on the rapid growth of corporate handouts and giveaways that have led to more problems than successes.”
