State Sen. Jarad Klein easily wins re-election in House District 78 race

State Sen. Jarad Klein has been re-elected as Iowa House District 78 representative, covering Keokuk County and part of Washington County.

Klein received 10,270 of the votes, and challenger Kimberly Davis received 4,832 of the votes.

'It's an honor to be re-elected, and I look forward to another two years,” Klein said.

Klein was first elected in 2010.

Klein serves as the Public Safety Committee chair and has formerly served as the assistant majority leader. Outside of politics, he is a farmer.

Klein said his priorities are public safety, the workforce and agriculture.

Davis had formerly run for the position in 2018. She has acted as the Washington County Democratic Committee chair. She is a real estate agent at Gateway Access Realty.

She said she is thankful for all of the love and support people have given her. She does not plan on conceding, and said she will always fight for the best interest of the district.

'Keep your yard signs in your garage and put them put in 2022 because I plan on running again,” Davis said.

When asked about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Klein previously said Gov. Kim Reynolds had handled it well and had taken a data-driven approach.

Moving forward, Klein said the state Legislature should continue to protect vulnerable populations while helping people return to school and work.

'When we are back in session, we will work with the Department of Public Health to identify what needs they have as far as tools or resources,” Klein said.

Davis said she does not believe the state has responded well to the pandemic.

Davis said elected officials should take a strong stance on wearing masks and following the guidance of the Center of Disease Control. She also said elected leaders can make sure Iowans are informed and prepared.

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