Letter to the Editor: I'm Grateful for Kayla Koether

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by Tabita Green of Decorah):

"I was sitting around a cozy dinner table with other women leaders in our community when Kayla Koether announced in her humble, yet strong, manner that she was running for the Iowa State House District 55. In that moment, everything made sense. Yes, we thought and expressed out loud, Kayla is the perfect person to represent rural Iowans.

As a fifth-generation member of a Northeast Iowa farm family, an intelligent Grinnell College grad, and a young person who has returned to Northeast Iowa to work for change, Kayla embodies her primary goal: to revitalize our rural economy, rebuild our main streets, and bring the next generation of Iowans home to do it.

Kayla walks the walk. And because she's run a grassroots campaign, she will be beholden to us, not special interests, when she arrives in Des Moines for the next legislative session. She will focus on boosting our education system to ensure that all young Iowans get a solid education that prepares them for an unknown future.

When Kayla did her "Barnstorming Tour" earlier this year, she heard from voters that they want a better healthcare system. In response, she will work to establish a better healthcare system managed right here in Iowa, not by out-of-state special interests. Kayla listens.

And she will work to redirect business development funds to focus on revitalizing rural Iowa through business incubation, research and development, and local entrepreneurship. This is what will bring our young people back home.

Kayla's opponent, Mike Bergan, has shown repeatedly through his voting record that he does not prioritize our region. On the contrary, he voted to close rural schools and cut pay for teachers. Bergan further voted to sell off Iowa's healthcare system to an out-of state corporation that cares more about increasing profits than serving Iowa's most vulnerable citizens.

Kayla cares deeply about the future of Northeast Iowa, and she's shown throughout her campaign that she is ready to work hard for all of us in Des Moines. For this, I am grateful.

Join me in voting for Kayla Koether for Iowa State House. She will represent us well."