Riverside

With Election Day approaching, the Washington County Republicans held their second Lincoln Dinner of the year over the weekend at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.

Those attending included Johnson County supervisor candidate Jennie Wunderlich, District 92 state Rep. Heather Hora, state Sen. Dawn Driscoll, U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Americans for Prosperity Director of Grassroots Operations Dustin Rush, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Republican gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson was scheduled to attend but was unable to be there.

Each candidate and elected official had an opportunity to address the crowd.

Gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn

Republican gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn discussed why he is running and addressed several topics, including keeping young people in Iowa, protecting family farms and Iowa land, education and cancer.

“As Republicans, we understand that we are here for something deeper than politics. Our purpose is rooted in the heritage of our state and country, and ultimately, we are here to defend and protect our culture.”

Lahn also discussed education and said every child has unique abilities.

“We believe every child has a unique talent and is on a journey to discover their calling and make a difference in the world. Being a genius does not necessarily mean having a 145 IQ; it means being gifted or talented in a particular area.”

He also addressed criticism concerning where he lives, explaining that his children divide their time between homes because he has a blended family.

“It is unbelievable that my opponent has spent at least $7 million spreading a false claim about where I live simply because I have a blended family and my children divide their time between homes.”

If elected, Lahn said he would like to create a program that encourages young Iowans to remain in the state. Under his proposal, Iowa high school graduates could avoid paying state income taxes for a set number of years and place that money into an account for the down payment on their first Iowa home.

After his remarks, The News reached out to Lahn for an interview, including questions about his residency, but he was unable to speak because he had to leave right away for a family matter.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird discussed a recent settlement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

“We sued Meta in April over practices that were harming children’s mental health. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to strengthen parental controls and age verification, limit addictive features and alerts, and prevent minors from accessing harmful filters.”

Bird said the changes include screen-time limits, breaks and restrictions on alerts during the school day. She also discussed concerns about plastic surgery filters and their effects on children’s mental health and body image.

Bird also addressed lawsuits involving TikTok and Roblox. She said TikTok must be honest with parents about harmful content available to children and either restrict adult material or better protect young users.

“I am suing Roblox because it markets itself as a safe gaming platform while allowing potentially dangerous interactions between adults and children that have resulted in serious harm.”

Bird encouraged anyone who has been scammed or believes they may have been scammed to visit www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov or call 515-281-5926.

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks

When it was U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ turn to speak, she stood on a chair behind the podium so the audience could see her more clearly.

Miller-Meeks described herself as pro-life, pro-God, pro-Second Amendment and supportive of school choice. She also said she does not consider herself a politician.

“I do not consider myself a politician; I am a doctor who was elected to Congress. I left my medical practice to run for office after seeing my patients harmed by government policies and large insurance companies.”

Miller-Meeks also discussed her work to lower prescription drug prices and health care costs. She concluded by telling the crowd that she would continue fighting to retain her seat.

“I am never going to give up. I am never going to back out. We are going to win this seat.”

District 92 state Rep. Heather Hora

State Rep. Heather Hora discussed her work since being elected and her commitment to leaving Iowa better for future generations.

Hora also spoke about the importance of agriculture in District 92.

"Agriculture is more than an industry in District 92; it is our way of life. Our farmers feed and fuel the world while supporting our schools, businesses and rural communities.”

She said another of her priorities is ensuring rural Iowans have access to quality health care close to home.

“Rural hospitals provide lifesaving care to our families and communities. That is why I have supported investments that strengthen rural hospitals and retain health care workers, because a person’s ZIP code should not determine the quality of care they receive.”

State Sen. Dawn Driscoll

State Sen. Dawn Driscoll said this was the first time since 2020 that she attended the dinner without being on the ballot.

With the midterm elections approaching, Driscoll emphasized the importance of participating in the political process.

“Showing up matters, and volunteering in any way matters.”

She said the upcoming election would be especially important for Republicans and encouraged those in attendance to help candidates by knocking on doors.

“This election matters more than most. We need to show the nation that we are not going to flip. We are going to stay red.”

Johnson County supervisor candidate Jennie Wunderlich

Johnson County supervisor candidate Jennie Wunderlich introduced herself and discussed her background.

Wunderlich is a U.S. Army veteran who graduated from Iowa City West High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point. She later served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Wunderlich also discussed the significance of Republicans fielding candidates for all five seats on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

 “We have five Republicans now running for all five seats, which is huge in Johnson County.”

AFP Director of Grassroots Operations Dustin Rush

Americans for Prosperity Director of Grassroots Operations Dustin Rush discussed his childhood and the importance of participating in elections. Rush, who has worked for AFP since 2017, said he was raised by a single mother and experienced turmoil during his early years.

Rush said political engagement helped Republicans establish education savings accounts, lower Iowa’s income tax rate and reduce regulations.

“Without the elections that we’ve engaged in, we would not have had ESAs, or education savings accounts; we would not have gotten our income tax to 3.8 percent; and we would not be reducing regulations and barriers to entry when it comes to working and making a living in Iowa.”

He encouraged those in attendance to become involved instead of remaining on the sidelines.

“It’s not enough to sit there on the sidelines and be depressed, give up and throw your hands up. You have to actually go talk to voters.”

Rush also reflected on the 2020 election, when volunteers knocked on doors during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped Eddie Andrews flip an Iowa House seat from Democratic to Republican.