Small business owner Lance Roorda announces plans to run for Iowa Senate
Lance Roorda (D) Leighton, has announced he’s running for the Iowa Senate in 2020.
‘Let’s reinvest in Rural Iowa’
Renewed Growth for Rural Iowa
Lance Roorda announced today that he is running for the Iowa Senate in 2020.
“I’m running to ensure that basic services exist in rural Iowa over the next decade,” said Roorda, a small business owner and Mahaska County native. “We need a new generation of leaders at the Statehouse that will focus on revitalizing the economy in all counties, improving access to health care, and improving education in our small towns and rural areas.”
Roorda is running in District 40, which includes all of Appanoose, Mahaska and Monroe counties; portions of Wapello County (including the cities of Blakesburg, Chillicothe, Eddyville and Kirkville); and the city of Pella in Marion County.
“Our current state legislators have ignored our rural areas at the expense of the big cities and suburbs and out of state interests. Farm bankruptcies are on the rise, rural hospitals are shutting their doors, and we have left our schools without adequate funding for long enough,” Roorda said. “We need a better plan for current and future generations of Iowa families.”
A graduate of Pella Community High School, Roorda earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Iowa. He went on to serve local communities in his work for Lutheran Services of Iowa, the Iowa Department of Human Services, the Iowa Department of Public Health, Veterans Affairs, and the Mahaska Heath Partnership. Earlier this year, Roorda started Eunoia Counseling in Oskaloosa, which provides Mental Health counseling for children, adults, and families.
Lance and his wife, Skyler Roorda, have two children Quinn (10) and Iris (4), and recently moved back to his family’s Century Farm in Leighton, Iowa. After living in the Des Moines Metropolitan area for several years, Roorda wanted his children to grow up with the same values and sense of community that characterized his upbringing. They are members of 3rd Church in Pella and Lance’s parents, Jerry and Shaughn, own and operate In’t Veld’s Meat Market.
In the Iowa Senate, Roorda will focus on initiatives to ensure that more young Iowan families, like his, will return to rural areas and small towns after completing job training, apprenticeships, and college. This includes:
Expanding access to broadband and high-speed internet service in all parts of the state.
Increasing the state’s investment in public K12 schools, especially in small town and rural areas. This includes reducing the property tax burden for homeowners.
Increasing access to recreational and cultural opportunities.
Bringing farmers and other rural Iowans to the table for discussions about improving water quality and natural resources in Iowa.
Expanding access to affordable health care for all Iowans, including mental health services.
Fixing the current mental health crisis in our state.
“I would love to hear from anyone with ideas about how to get our state moving back in the right direction and working for all Iowans,” Roorda said. “People should feel free to call me at 641-569-8092 or e-mail me at lance@roorda4iowa.com.
Lance has announced a series of fundraising events to kick off his campaign. Everyone is invited and encouraged to come.
12/5 — 6-7:30 pm at Smokey Row in Oskaloosa
12/6 — 6-8 pm at Tamory Hall in Pella.
12/14 — Centerville (details to be announced soon)
