ON THE BALLOT: Iowa House District 78 Kimberly K. Davis

Kimberly K. Davis

Party: Democrat

Home: Washington

Family: My Husband, Joey Haugsted, and my dog, Baxter

Occupation: Realtor at Gateway Access Realty

Political Experience: Washington County Democratic Committee Chair, candidate for State Representative District 78 (2018 and 2020), candidate for county supervisor District 4 (2016)

Why are you running for office?

After spending over four years listening to people in our district, it's become very apparent that some of the most basic needs are not met for hardworking families in our state.

Young adults in their early 20s with pre-existing conditions can't find good jobs with benefits or insurers that will cover them.

Mental health treatment and care is harder and harder to come by for adults and even harder to come by for adolescents and children.

Our teachers are resilient and do an incredible job even though our schools have been underfunded for so long.

Union-busting legislation has taken power from our workers, and this leads to lost wages, benefits, job security and overall well-being of many families.

With all that being said, and I could say more, I love my state, and I'm a proud fourth-generation Iowan.

We need to deprivatize our state health care system, fully fund our schools, strengthen our unions and create good paying jobs and protect our environment.

This is what Iowans want, and I aim to give it to them.

What are your priorities if elected?

My first priority will always be to listen to voters and hear what their concerns are.

Legislatively I will focus on deprivatizing Medicaid, expanding health care coverage and making healthcare (dental, mental, vision, preventative care) more affordable and accessible in this state.

COVID has shown us all just how important it is that all of us have coverage.

It has also shown us just how important our doctors, nurses and support staff are.

If our system remains privatized and we allow business executives to capitalize on the sickness or health of Iowans, we will continue to have issues with the cost of care.

What do you see as the top issues facing the state in the next legislative session?

I worry that Gov. Reynolds will try to dismantle IPERS, so I'm expecting to face that head-on with a 'no” vote.

The main thing on everyone's mind is how to stay healthy and stay busy working. So that should be our priority in Des Moines as well.

All Iowans will benefit from a legislature that is focused on creating and maintaining new well-paying jobs and securing healthcare for all Iowans.

Do you think the state government has responded well to the COVID-19 pandemic, and if not, how should it have responded differently?

No, I don't think the state government has responded well to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Sept. 1, we had the highest level of new cases per population in the country.

We needed our elected officials to promote face mask wearing and require masks in all public places back in March.

Lack of transparency on case numbers and data analysis has been very difficult for Iowans to deal with, since the unknown is scarier than the just receiving straight facts.

Testing was hard to come by for too long.

Now, our educators, parents and students are adjusting, but it is still a very difficult and stressful time for everyone from the time they get up in the morning to the time they get back to bed.

I think these stresses could have been eased if we had a transparent database and spent more of the federal funding on public awareness on how to stay safe, where to get tested and what programs and assistance were available for workers and businesses.

I also think more resources should go to our seniors, retirement facilities and hospice centers to help protect our most vulnerable from this disease.

What can the state Legislature do in 2021 about stopping the spread of the pandemic while also being mindful of the effects on the economy?

Our elected state officials can come out and take a strong stance on wearing masks and following the guidance of the CDC. Our state legislature can allocate funds to our senior living facilities, since we now know that these facilities absolutely must have all of the personal protective equipment, staff and sanitation supplies they need in order to protect our seniors.

The Legislature could enact measures requiring meatpacking plants and other industries to have safer work environments by allowing more distance between employees and cleaner conditions.

Our elected leaders can make sure that Iowans have all of the facts and information they need to feel prepared, safe and aware of the realities we face.

These measures and others will allow us to avoid complete shutdowns and get rid of this virus once and for all.