Democrat Vying for Governor Visits Smokey Row

Democrat John Norris eats an ice cream cone at Smokey Row while chatting with residents during a Meet and Greet in Oskaloosa. Photo: Hailey Brown

By Hailey Brown

(Oskaloosa, Iowa) – A candidate running to be the next governor of Iowa shared his vision at Smokey Row in Oskaloosa during a Meet and Greet held by the Mahaska County Democrats on Tuesday.

John Norris, one of six Democratic gubernatorial candidates for governor, promoted his candidacy while enjoying ice cream and chatting with a handful of attendees at the local coffee shop. Norris emphasized disdain over the privatization of Medicaid as well as lack of funding for mental health services in Iowa. If elected, Norris said he would reverse the state’s handover of its Medicaid program to private companies.

Randy Davis of Oskaloosa, a board member of the South Central Iowa Center for Independent Living, spoke with Norris about the importance of providing a variety of services to assist individuals with disabilities to empower them to live independently in their communities.

Liz Colton, the pastor at St. Paul Congregational United Church of Christ in Oskaloosa, asked what message the Norris campaign carries to stand out in a sea of slogans from other campaigners.

Norris replied that there is a need for government transparency and said he disliked the abundance of “back door lobby influence” on tax policy, which he claimed was the main cause of the Medicaid privatization as well as other fast-tracked policy changes.

“This past year … Everything was done behind closed doors with no chance for public debate and no chance for a public hearing,” he explained. “And the only reason you do that is if you want to run through an agenda that won’t withstand public scrutiny.”

Norris is currently competing against Nate Boulton, Cathy Glasson, Fred Hubbell, and Andy McGuire in the June 5 Primary for a chance to face Gov. Kim Reynolds in the General Election this November.

About John Norris

Norris was raised on a family farm in Montgomery County and attended both Simpson College and University of Iowa College of Law. Norris has served as chief of staff (twice) to Tom Vilsack; worked as an aide to former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin; worked for Former U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell; served as the U.S. minister counselor for agriculture to the United Nations in Rome, and is a former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party. Norris has also served on the Iowa Utilities Board and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.