2020 Iowa primaries: Des Moines voters' choice a matter of experience in state House race
Austin CannonIowa State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad faces a rarity next week: a challenger in the Democratic primary for his Des Moines House seat.
On Tuesday — as on the early voting ballots that Iowans have already received in the mail — his name will appear next to that of Calvetta Williams, his first primary opponent in a decade.
Williams, who founded Mothers Against Violence, said she wants to bring a new voice to the Capitol, while Abdul-Samad says he still has work to do.
“No, I’m not finished yet,” he said.
Like other races around the state, the Iowa House of Representatives District 35 Democrat primary has been muted because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The door-knocking and other usual campaign activities, have been curtailed, leaving only a few alternatives: hosting podcasts, working the phones and posting on social media.
More:Iowa elections 2020: Abdul-Samad, Williams compete for House District 35 nomination
The district is centered in Des Moines’ north side, including the Drake, King Irving, River Bend and Cheatom Park neighborhoods north of Interstate 235 and west of the Des Moines River. Whoever wins Tuesday’s contest will occupy the seat, because no Republican is on the ballot.
Abdul-Samad, the founder and CEO of Creative Visions, an organization that helps poor and at-risk youth and families, has served in the Legislature for the past 13 years. He’s only faced primary contests twice: when he was a part of a four-way contest as a newcomer in 2006 and when he easily beat a challenger in 2010.
He said an eighth term would allow him to keep pursuing his legislative goals: raising the minimum wage from what he calls its “criminal” current level of $7.25 per hour; increasing state funding for K-12 schools; starting a multilingual elementary school pilot program; and curbing human and labor trafficking.
A pandemic-caused upheaval is the time for experience, Abdul-Samad said. His analogy: People want an experienced pilot in the cockpit to handle turbulence, not someone new.
Recalling that he first got to the Statehouse when the 2008 recession was on the horizon and people were losing their homes, he said: “I’ve flown through this turbulence before.”
Williams told the Register she “felt the need to stand up” and run after a friend urged her to.
She readily admitted a lack of experience in lawmaking but pointed to her knowledge about which issues, such as poverty and mental health problems, affect her would-be constituents. She said she knows what it’s like to work 40 hours a week and still struggle to pay bills.
She said she’d willingly ask for help if she needs it, too, and holds no animus toward Abdul-Samad.
“I always have respected him and what he’s done,” Williams said. “I just think, 'Why not give someone else an opportunity. Why couldn’t it be me?'”
Like Abdul-Samad, she also wants to see an increase in the minimum wage. She said her No. 1 issue, however, is curbing violence and pledged to work with law enforcement organizations to make that happen.
She called it “a little scary and frustrating” to be a challenger during the pandemic, when she so far hasn’t been able to visit with many voters in person. That’s left her to do a lot of her campaigning on social media, though she has gotten some yard signs out to supporters.
Even if she loses Tuesday, Williams is still counting the election as a victory. Gun violence has affected her and her family, and in 2017 she was charged with child endangerment, but was later acquitted by a jury, in a case involving a girl in her care who allegedly came home with superficial injuries, including red marks on her face.
Williams said she didn’t let that trial define her.
“I’ve been through a lot,” she said. “It makes me proud to see my kids proud of their mom standing up and getting back out there.”
Pandemic campaigning
Runs for the statehouse are often well-planned affairs, but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, those plans are being tossed out as inoperable.
Sean Bagniewski, chair of the Polk County Democrats, said social distancing has marked a "huge change" in campaigning, forcing candidates to pivot to physically distant forms of communication.
“Yard signs become more important. Texting becomes more important. Calling becomes more important,” he said.
Williams has passed out signs and used social media, while Abdul-Samad said he's hosted a Wednesday podcast and attended community meetings via online conferencing software.
“That’s about all you can do,” Bagniewski said.
He added that the pandemic could make it even harder for challengers such as Williams to break through. If they're not already well known, it's hard to build name recognition without being able to host or attend events or knock on doors.
Austin Cannon covers the city of Des Moines for the Register. Reach him at awcannon@registermedia.com or 515-284-8398. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal.