Mike Heaton announces run for Iowa House

MT. PLEASANT — Small business owner and rural Democrat Mike Heaton officially announced his campaign for District 87 the Iowa House of Representatives this week. The newly drawn district represents Fairfield, Mt. Pleasant, and the surrounding areas along with neighboring Van Buren County.

“We need more voices in the State House that speak to what is actually happening in rural Iowa.” said Heaton. “I’m running to get Des Moines refocused on empowering rural Iowans”

Heaton was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant. He is an alumnus of the University of Iowa and holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management.

His extensive experience includes serving as the vice president for University Advancement at Iowa Wesleyan University and as the Great Plains Regional Director for UNICEF USA.

Heaton is currently the director of development at NewBoCo, an Iowa-based tech education, entrepreneurship and innovation focused nonprofit. He is also the founder of Traction Steam, a communications firm for rural businesses that is opening a coworking center in downtown Mt. Pleasant in May 2022.

A former lobbyist with the Iowa Catholic Conference, Heaton is familiar with the Iowa Legislature.

“Unfortunately, the Democratic Party has mostly ignored rural Iowa in recent years,” Heaton said. “At the same time, Iowans have become increasingly uncomfortable with the extremism of the new Republican Party. So, I am running as a rural Democrat. I’ve been fortunate to travel the world, but I will always be a small-town Iowa boy with a bleeding heart.

“Rural Iowans are tired of all the culture war divisiveness. Y’all means all. If we want our young adults to stay in our communities, we should build bridges instead of walls. We are tired of the attacks against public school teachers, health care professionals and everyday workers. When you work a job, you should be able to make a living and be treated with respect. It is my hope that Iowans will join us as we roll up our sleeves and get to work rebuilding southeast Iowa into a welcoming and prosperous region.”

Outside of his professional career, Heaton is a board member of the Old Threshers Foundation, a founding member of PFLAG Mt. Pleasant and a former PTA president. He and his wife, Abigail, are the proud parents of two children.

Learn more about Mike and his campaign at www.heatonforiowa.com and on social media.