Former Iowa Governor and First Lady Promote rural Democrats in Mt. Pleasant

MT. PLEASANT—Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack visited Mount Pleasant for a meet and greet on Saturday.

The event was hosted downtown at Traction Steam by Iowa House candidate Mike Heaton with special guest Admiral Mike Franken, candidate for the United States Senate.

Heaton opened the event by telling a story about his first foray into politics.

As a middle school student, he put up yard signs for his uncle Dave Heaton’s run for the Iowa Senate.

“Dave just barely lost to this guy you may have heard of named Tom,” said Mike Heaton.

Dave Heaton ran for the Iowa House two years later and served alongside Tom Vilsack during his tenure as State Senator and Iowa Governor.

“That was the toughest race I ever had,” Vilsack commented. “Your uncle and I became friends, notwithstanding the very difficult campaign we ran.”

“We respected each other,” he said. “When I was Governor, I worked with him. Your uncle had the courage and the political backbone to stand up to his caucus at times when he didn’t agree with them. I have a lot of respect for the Heaton family.”

Vilsack also had high praise for Admiral Mike Franken, who is in a tight race for the United States Senate.

“We want somebody who understands the world, how complex it is. That is Mike Franken,” Vilsack said. “He is a thoughtful guy, a principled guy, and he knows the world.”

Former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack, a native of Mount Pleasant, introduced Franken and spoke about the values Franken shared with the people of her hometown.

She and Franken both spoke about the importance of quality educational opportunities in Iowa’s rural communities.

Iowa Senate candidate Rich Taylor encouraged everyone to vote and to vote early if possible.

Early voting is available at the county courthouses through November 7. Election Day is November 8.