A husband and wife will both be on the ballot in Indianola this year, but not against each other.
Spencer and Sinikka Waugh are both running for office as Democrats: Spencer for Iowa House District 21, which covers portions of Warren and Marion counties, and Sinikka for Iowa Senate District 11, which includes Indianola and portions of Marion County.
“This is something that we are doing together, even though they’re separate campaigns, and it’s really lovely,” Sinikka Waugh said in an interview Saturday, Feb. 7 in the living room of the couple’s Indianola home, which is filled with books and with campaign materials that say “We’re with the Waughs.”
“Some people would say this is going to add a certain level of stress,” Spencer Waugh added. “And I would say: my wife runs a small business, and so she’s busy all the time, and I’m a teacher. We already knew that life — it didn’t add a layer of stress that we didn’t already know.”
Voters don’t often see a couple running simultaneously on a ballot, but the decision for both to run for office wasn’t unexpected. They’ve always been community-minded, and running for office followed suit.
“You listen, and people listen to you,” Sinikka told her husband. “You have the ability to bring people together. … I don’t know very many people who can build something you can.”
Spencer, too, knew the same about his wife. He had already printed the map for Senate District 11 before she decided to announce her campaign. It was sitting on the printer, ready for her to make her decision.
“I remember the day that I asked you, that I said, ‘Hey, I’m kind of thinking about it. What if I really did run?'” Sinikka recalled. “And you stopped, you said, ‘Hold that thought for a second.’ And you ran downstairs, and you came back in like two seconds later and you had in your hands a map.”
She officially announced her campaign on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Republican Sen. Julian Garrett has held the seat since 2013. He has not announced a reelection campaign.
Spencer previously ran for the House seat in 2024 and knew he wanted to run again. Sinikka putting in her bid for office only made the effort all the more collaborative, even if it adds more to their busy to-do lists.
The couple jokes they’ll “see each other in November,” and say running two campaigns means they’ll have to fight over who sits at the seat at the dining table closest to the wall outlet.
The two have seen an outpouring of support from their friends and neighbors, who say, “Oh my goodness! That’s amazing, that’s wonderful!” and “You guys are crazy!” Sinikka said with a laugh.
The two got a taste of what the campaign trail would be like during Spencer’s first campaign, knocking on doors to connect with potential voters.
Now, they’re going to be knocking on doors together.
Who are Spencer and Sinikka Waugh?
Spencer and Sinikka Waugh, both 50, have been married since 1998 and together have two daughters, Sophie, 20, a student at Simpson College, and Anja, 22, a law student at Drake University.
Spencer, originally from South Dakota, came to Iowa to attend Central College, where he met his future wife.
They settled in Indianola, where he taught at Indianola High School and led the school’s debate team. He then moved to Simpson College to lead the speech and debate team and also taught at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines.
He began working full time at Simpson College in 2013 and led the speech and debate team to several national championships before transitioning into an associate dean role with the college. He also serves as the director of the college’s exploratory studies program and academic recruitment.
Sinikka grew up on U.S. naval bases around the country and overseas, but landed in Iowa.
She runs a small business in Indianola, Your Clear Next Step, a professional development company focused on training and coaching. She has owned and operated the business since 2008. She also teaches an online class at Simpson College and a course at Central College.
The Waughs are active in Indianola’s faith community and helped establish a satellite location of the Lutheran Church of Hope, which meets at Simpson College Kent Campus Center, just steps away from their home, each Sunday.
The Waughs believe that ‘listening is the basic form of service’
Spencer Waugh had originally entered the 2024 race for House District 21 because of Iowa’s overhaul of AEAs, and quickly found his campaign turning to themes of service, including food drives and a school supply drive. He lost the election to incumbent Republican Rep. Brooke Boden, who has not announced plans for reelection.
“There were various needs in the community. We were trying to find ways to meet them because the campaign was always based on listening to the needs, and listening is the basic form of service,” he said.
The two share many beliefs they are campaigning on.
Among the top concerns they have heard from their community are education, water quality and Iowa’s young residents leaving the state.
For now, both are focusing on their campaigns. But if they both win their elections to the Legislature, they’ll have to think about how serving as lawmakers will impact their relationship.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Sinikka said.
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa couple running for state House, state Senate at the same time
Reporting by Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
