Instead of talking, Danny Graber is running

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

It didn?t take Danny Graber, of rural Mt. Pleasant, long to decide to run for political office. The Republican announced last week that he would be seeking the GOP nomination for the Senate District 42 seat.

Thus far, Graber is the only announced GOP candidate for the post, currently held by Democratic State Sen. Rich Taylor, of Mt. Pleasant. Taylor is seeking another term.

Graber said no one issue caused him to toss his hat in the ring. Rather, it was a number of things.

?My wife, Sylvia, is a nurse practitioner and owns a clinic in New London,? he said. ?At night, we would talk about various things that we deal with daily. We discussed some things that irritated us, and I decided to do something about it instead of just talk about it. It took me about a week to decide to run (for office).?

A small businessman, Graber said some of the struggles faced by businesses was one of the factors in his candidacy. ?It is important to reduce the regulatory and tax burdens on our small business,? he noted.

Because his wife is a health-care provider, he said many issues with health care have been discussed at the kitchen table. ?Iowans are just paying too much for health care,? Graber said. ?I would like to see quality health care provided while keeping costs down.?

A member of the Mt. Pleasant Christian School Board, the candidate also said education is a priority with him.

?We must provide our children an education that prepares them to play a valuable role in our 21st Century economy,? he began. ?I want to keep our young people in Iowa after they graduate, so they must graduate with the skills to succeed in business.?

?I agree that the state must spend money on education,? he continued, ?but we have to do it in a responsible way. I don?t want to spend more money than we are taking in.?

He highly supports dual-credit courses, saying they are a great idea.

Another priority is second-amendment rights (the right to bear arms). ?I would support any bill to strengthen and preserve second-amendment rights,? he noted.

While gaining signatures for his nomination papers, he said he heard concerns from residents that they do not feel they are being heard by state and local government. ?I would like to change that,? he said.

The Mt. Pleasant native said his family, community and state are important to him. ?I love my family, my community and my state,? he remarked. ?I am concerned about the future for my children (ages 7, 11 and 13). It is important that we work toward creating opportunities to help grow our economy and provide rewarding career opportunities to keep future generations in Iowa.?

Graber said he hasn?t spent much time campaigning yet but is in the process of fund-raising. ?I?m working hard on getting campaign funding. I am not sure I will start campaigning until around the first of May.?

He stated, a change is needed in direction in the Iowa Senate ?so my children and future generations will have a better future,? he stated. ?I want to be a voice in chartering this new direction?However, this election is not just about me and my vision for Iowa,? he continued, ?It is about you, your families and every Iowan. I plan to work hard getting to know the people of District 42 and listening to your concerns, so I may represent your interests in the Iowa Senate.?

Iowa Senate District 42 includes Henry and Lee counties and portions of Washington and Jefferson counties.