Politics are a passion for Senate candidate Holmstrom

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Mt. Pleasant?s Ralph Holmstrom admittedly has a passion for politics, and despite being defeated in the 2014 GOP primary for an Iowa House of Representatives seat, the loss has not quelled that passion.

In fact, Holmstrom says it may have increased the passion.

He said politics are becoming a ?spiritual thing? although he is quick to admit that he is not a politician.

Reflecting on his quest for a House seat in 2014, he said had he won, it would have been a partial victory. ?The Republicans already control the House, so if I had won, there wouldn?t have been any difference because the party (Dave Heaton) won the seat anyway.

?I think it is much more important that Republicans win seats in the Senate,? he continued, ?because the Democrats control the Senate. I was encouraged by a number of Republican Senators to run for the Senate. The effects would be better.?

His interest in politics gained steam a number of years ago, peaking in frustration when Iowa approved same-sex marriage. ?Enough is enough is enough, this is not the state I inherited from my grandfather,? Holmstrom said emphatically.

The cement was put on his decision to run for the Senate when he visited a session of the Iowa Legislature in 2015. ?I just had to see them in action,? he remembers. ?I basically went, lifted the hood and saw it run. I decided then that running for the senate was the right thing to do. I wanted to do the right thing and suffer the consequences.?

A neo-conservative, both fiscally and socially, Holmstrom has some strong right-wing beliefs that have shaped his political philosophy.

He strongly opposes funding Planned Parenthood. ?Many Iowans are not aware that their tax dollars are going to Planned Parenthood.?

Holmstron, a salesman at the Shottenkirk, Inc., in Mt. Pleasant, believes life begins at conception and should end at natural death.

The Republican also is a strong supporter of Iowa veterans, saying he will support and defend veterans, making sure their needs are supplied.

Holmstrom and his wife, Dana, have been licensed foster-care providers for 13 years and during that time, have had close to 25 foster children. Consequently, he said he will make sure foster children are not forgotten.

A believer in the education voucher system, the candidate supports educational savings accounts. ?The money follows the student and empowers parents to educate children as they believe. Just because the student has a voucher does not mean the parents will pull them out of public schools.?

In another education matter, Holmstrom strongly opposes the Common Core and Iowa?s Common Core approach to education.

He said he is a strong defender of second amendment rights (the right to bear arms).

The two campaigns, he remarked, have been an eye-opener. ?I never realized how much I would love campaigning. It is refreshing to meet and talk with salt of the earth people.?

Full-time employment, though, does severely limit his time to campaign. That means a lot of night-time phone calls and letters, he said, and visits to large businesses. ?It is amazing what you can do just in the stores in town.?

Holmstrom is opposed by Danny Graber of Mt. Pleasant for the GOP nomination to face incumbent State Sen. Rich Taylor, D-Mt. Pleasant, in the November general election. To the candidate, competition is good. ?I work in competition every day (as a vehicle salesman), so it is good to have competition.?

Although he has some strong conservative beliefs, Holmstrom says he would have no problem working with others who do not share his beliefs. ?I can work both sides of the aisles because although some of us may be Republicans and others Democrats, we are all Iowans.?

Looking ahead, should he prevail in the primary, Holmstrom said he would be up to the challenge of taking on an incumbent. ?I think I can beat the Democrat incumbent.?

Iowa Senate District 42 includes all of Henry and Lee counties, and portions of Washington and Jefferson counties. The Iowa primary election is Tuesday, June 7. Iowa has a closed primary where voters must be registered with a party (GOP or Democrat) to vote in that party?s primary election. A voter may change registration before voting and then change it back after voting.

Absentee or early voting has begun. Ballots are available at the county auditor?s office during normal business hours (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).