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3 Democrats run for District 53 seat in June 4 primary
Tommy Hexter of Grinnell, John Anderson of Tama and Jennifer Wrage of rural Gladbrook are seeking the House District 53 in the June 4 primary election.
Polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday across the state. Primary winners will appear on the ballot for November’s general election.
Hexter, 24, grew up on a small vegetable, egg, and flower farm in Crozet, Virginia, a small community near Charlottesville.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology of Food Systems from Grinnell College, graduating in 2021.
Hexter is Rural Organizer and Educator with the Iowa Farmers Union, a commissioner of the Poweshiek County Soil and Water Conservation District and the director of a local food business called Grinnell Farm To Table that sources products from 35 local farmers.
He also works at a local dairy called Radiance Dairy in Fairfield and has a 3-year-old German shepherd named Echo.
Hexter said he’s running for election because he is deeply connected to the Grinnell communities small businesses and social services.
“On a daily basis, people share with me the struggles and opportunities that they experience in this place,” Hexter said.
“My primary motivation for running is to make sure that all of the people of House District 53 have their voice heard in the Iowa State House so that we can face those struggles head-on and expand opportunities to allow families and small businesses to thrive here.”
Hexter said what sets him apart from the other candidates is being a young person. Born in 1999, he sees many folks in his generation fleeing rural areas.
“I love small towns, and I want to bring new energy and a fresh perspective to the political space here in Iowa to make this place livable for my generation and future generations,” Hexter said.
“In my work with Grinnell Farm to Table, I’m also deeply entrenched in local agriculture and rural economic development. I believe that the basis of any rural community is the ability of small farms and small businesses to thrive and multiply.”
Hexter said the biggest issues facing primary rural districts are similar to what most of the rural areas across the Midwest face today — hollowing out of our communities, including brain drain of young people moving out, hospitals and schools closing, small businesses being overtaken by Dollar General, small media being bought up by national corporations and access to food and medical care being made increasingly difficult.
“All Iowans can agree that we need to allow our rural areas to thrive, and this all starts with a new model of economic development where we make sure the investments we are making reach Iowa-owned businesses and have a positive impact on families and individuals,” Hexter said.
“In my job with Iowa Farmers Union, I have already worked with legislators across the aisle to deliver programs that invest in small businesses in Iowa, including the Butchery Innovation and Revitalization Program and the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Pilot Program, and I look forward to continuing this work if elected.”
Jennifer Wrage
Jennifer Wrage, 61, has been an educator, most recently at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Elementary School, for 32 years. She will be retiring after this year.
Wrage is a mentor teacher and serves on the School Improvement Leadership Team. Because of her passion for education, she also is a member of the district Task Force to look at possible improvements to the school district’s facilities and the possibility of the need for a bond issue.
Wrage serves as a chief negotiator for the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Education Association. She has witnessed firsthand the need for more mental health services for her students and the community at large and sees being a representative as a path to be an advocate for public education and mental health reform.
Wrage believes in life-long learning belonging to the Iowa Reading Association and the Hardy Reading Council which promote professional development.
Wrage has served on the Tama County Extension Council for 13 years. She is the current vice president and serves on the personnel committee.
Having children benefit from the 4-H program, she was inspired to become a licensed 4-H judge.
Because of the relationships with 4-H, she became interested in the other functions of the Tama County Extension Council and wanted to be involved to a greater degree.
Wrage served on the Local Foods Committee as the Extension Council representative to bring support to our local growers and consumers.
“Being on the council also allows me to support Iowans gaining various skills and improve quality of life for themselves and their communities,” she said.
As a parent, Wrage was involved in all aspects of her children’s lives. She served as a Sunday school teacher, Tee-ball coach, Camp Fire and Boy Scout leader, Fine Arts Booster and was, and continues to be, involved with the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Parent Teacher Organization.
She has never been hesitant to help others when there has been a need.
Her work ethic placed her in the Mount Mercy Athletic Hall of Fame for basketball and the University of Northern Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame for her softball pitching, which led her team to a national title and Most Valuable Player award for her tournament play.
Not only did she excel as an athlete, but she graduated from UNI with honors. Her love of athletics led her to continue to coach basketball, softball, and track at the junior high and high school levels.
Wrage has been married to her husband, Nathan, for 34 years. They have two children and three grandchildren. She lives on an acreage near Gladbrook.
John Anderson
John Anderson, 62, a Tama County Democrat and semiretired engineer, attended college at the University of Iowa, Kirkwood and Illinois and spent 10 years in Silicon Valley working for laser companies.
He lived in France for five years and spent time rehabbing houses in Bishop Hill, Illinois He now calls Tama home, where he resides in an 1882 Italianate home.
Anderson is running for office because he discovered subliminal messages in textbooks while studying for his engineering degree, leading him to be expelled for complaining about it, he said.
His many life experiences and run-ins with police and other authorities has led him to believe there is a lot of corruption that needs cleaned up.
“My forte is investigation,” Anderson said. “It's dangerous being a whistle blower, but if House District 53 wants someone who will root out corruption, there is no one close to me.”
