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Republican candidates vying for the top spot in state government gave their plans to transform education on all levels for Iowa students during a gubernatorial debate Tuesday evening, claiming leftist indoctrination starts with teacher education before making its way into classrooms and parents need more control.
Hosted by conservative organization Moms for Liberty and moderated by the organization’s CEO Tina Descovich and WHO NewsRadio Host Simon Conway, the debate also touched on topics like Iowans’ health, the absence of one of the candidates, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, and more.
Candidates agreed that both education and higher education in Iowa need to be reformed, with eastern Iowa farmer and businessman Zach Lahn saying the issue needs to be framed as a “generational fight for the institutions in our society.” He and other candidates pointed at “the left” as targeting education to indoctrinate children, something Lahn said they have been “tremendously successful” at.
Lahn is running on an “Iowa first” agenda, with a focus on education, border security and supporting farms. The Republican candidate has not held political office but worked previously for a Colorado state senator, Republican campaigns in Iowa and conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity.
“Public school is to promote civic virtue, to understand the principles of faith in our country and our culture, and that’s what it will be when I am governor,” Lahn said.
Brad Sherman, a Republican state representative from 2023-2025, businessman and faith leader, said the “concept of God” needs to be put back in schools, and putting the Ten Commandments in classrooms is a good place to start. God gave children to their parents and not the state, Sherman said, and parents should have complete control.
Sherman states on his campaign website he is committed to “restoring adherence to the Constitution and restoring the foundational principles that made America a great nation and Iowa a great state.”
Parental rights were a focus for both Moms for Liberty and the candidates, with each candidate offering their support of parents deciding where and what their students learn. Rep. Eddie Andrews, R-Johnston, touted his authorship of parental rights legislation, which includes rights he said everyone agreed on until “three seconds ago.” Parents have the “fundamental right to raise their children in education,” he said.
Andrews also suggested doing away with the current common core education rules and restoring state-specific education standards, including adding phonics, where the association between spoken and written sounds is taught, to classrooms.
The five priorities listed on Andrews’s website include eliminating property taxes and combating inflation, parental rights in education, defending landowners and private property, championing mental health and health care freedom and protecting “life, liberty and traditional values.”
Former Iowa Department of Administrative Services director Adam Steen said during the debate funding of public schools isn’t the problem but ideology is, as well as the “downright evil” requirements being pushed on students.
“The line” for Steen was when his son’s teacher asked them to purchase a book titled “Jacob’s New Dress,” about a boy who begins to wear a dress to school. Teachers are sometimes forced to incorporate materials like these into classrooms, he said, adding he believes schools should instead teach real-world skills, vocational studies and industrial arts.
“I believe that this isn’t on the backs of teachers, it’s on the backs of those that are putting these standards upon our teachers and forcing it down our children’s throats,” Steen said.
Steen described himself at the launch event for his gubernatorial run as “the faith guy,” as well as a “Make America Great Again guy.” The Republican resigned from his position in August in order to enter the race and states on his campaign website he is pro-life, pro-Iowa, pro-property rights and pro-family.
Branching off from school choice for parents, Steen said schools should have a say in how teachers are trained. Universities should offer degree tracks in “classical education” for students, he said, and universities should not promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
Sherman suggested that teachers be given some form of test to ensure they can “do the job” while not needing to go through traditional university training.
Lahn said the value proposition of a college education is “decreasing precipitously,” with schools talking to students about postsecondary options other than attending a university.
Universities are “digging their own grave” while getting a lot of money from the state, and Lahn proposed overturning the Iowa Board of Regents and pulling funding from universities that refuse to stop teaching “woke indoctrination.” He said he would give the money instead to veteran support programs he pitched during the debate, such as trade schools and farm programs.
Iowa’s medical needs
Moderators also asked lawmakers about the medical issues facing Iowans, from cancer rates to vaccine concerns.
Lahn, Sherman and Andrews all stated the need for additional, independent research on the causes of Iowa’s growing cancer rates in order to understand the problem fully and begin to identify solutions. Andrews mentioned $1 million in state funding provided to the University of Iowa for cancer research but said that didn’t include pediatric cancers, and said one suggestion to address that was to put in another $3 million.
Lahn laid the blame on agriculture companies who aren’t truthful about what their chemicals are doing to Iowans, and said he wouldn’t allow them to operate in Iowa unless they can show through research that their products are not harmful.
“It is the generational issue of our time, and we have to confront it head on,” Lahn said.
Steen refused to lay the blame on farmers, citing radon, plane deicer and golf courses as other areas that could be impacting cancer rates. He said this is a years-long issue to solve, and he wants to bring the experts to the table to solve it, no matter their political affiliation.
When asked about mRNA vaccines, Lahn, Sherman and Andrews all committed to banning them in the state, pointing back to issues during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Steen, who said his father got diabetes and cancer after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and later died, said he would consider a ban.
Feenstra criticized for skipping debate
Feenstra was invited to the debate but did not join, indicated by the empty podium Moms for Liberty placed on stage. Each of the candidates criticized his absence.
Billy Fuerst, campaign spokesman for Feenstra, said in an email the candidate flew into and out of Iowa with President Trump on Air Force One, where they spoke about “how they can work together to take Iowa to new heights and keep Iowa red.”
“Congressman Feenstra is proud of his track record working with President Trump to pass the largest tax cuts for working families in U.S. history, get Sarah’s Law signed into law, and lower gas prices to their lowest levels in years,” Fuerst said in his email.
Steen said if Feenstra is the Republican nominee, Iowa would end up with Democrat Rob Sand as a governor and Iowa would be “toast.” Feenstra was in Iowa Tuesday, Andrews said, and the fact that he didn’t show up felt like he was disregarding Iowans.
“I’m not trying to cuss, but it’s like throwing a middle finger at all of you,” Andrews said. “He doesn’t care.”
Lahn said he doesn’t believe that Feenstra was too intimidated to come to the debate stage Tuesday — he’s instead following a method that says if you get enough establishment money, you get to skip everything else.
“Randy Feenstra has a lot of money, he has a lot of people behind him, but in Iowa, it doesn’t take that much money if you’re willing to work hard,” Sherman said.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: [email protected].
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