Three candidates — two Republicans and one Democrat — will be on the June 2 primary ballot for state House District 45.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Brian K. Lohse is facing Republican primary challenger Austin Stubbs. Democrat Kendra Haug is running opposed and will face the Republican primary winner in the Nov. 3 election.
The Polk County district includes district Bondurant, part of Carlisle and Polk City.
To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Click below to learn more about the candidates and where they stand on key issues:
| Bios | Top issue | Education | Taxes | Cancer rates | Eminent domain | Budget deficits |
Who is Kendra Haug?
Who is incumbent Brian K. Lohse?
Who is Austin Stubbs?
What would be your top issue if elected?
Haug (D): The problem with Iowa right now is there are so many serious issues — sky high cancer rates, affordability crisis, public education under attack, and so much more. The main thing is to focus on legislation that will provide immediate relief to regular Iowans, along with creating thoughtful, multi-faceted approaches to create long-term solutions starting at the source of each issue. The most immediate need seems to be the affordability crisis — we have hardworking Iowans unable to afford food and shelter. That should not happen.
Lohse (R): In 2021, it became my mission to respond to critiques from the House Democrats that in advancing pro-life legislation, House Republicans did nothing about adoption. Since that time, I have led the House to make adoption more affordable and accessible and have been successful in advancing to the governor six major pieces of legislation to do just that. I will continue on that mission. During my next term, I will continue to work on legislation I have previously proposed to move them forward and to find additional ways to improve the adoption and foster care systems.
Stubbs (R): Protecting Iowa’s children in the classroom and online. We must end the indoctrination of our children in schools, putting an end to the radical woke agenda. We need stronger safeguards to protect kids from inappropriate and sexualized content online, while empowering families with the tools and transparency they need to keep their children safe.
What policies would you support to improve Iowa’s education system?
Lohse (R): I continually hear from teachers across the district, many of whom are personal friends, that classroom behavior of children is out of control and that there is a lack of support for the teachers from administration when dealing with those disruptive students. The Iowa House just passed a major bill that is aimed at addressing this issue, but we need to continue to ensure that teachers are safe in the classroom and are able to do their job.
Stubbs (R): I support an education system that prioritizes children through school choice, increased transparency, and parental control. Iowa needs to expand our Tax Credit Scholarship and Education Savings Accounts programs so families can choose a learning environment for their children that fits their values, standards, and beliefs. Competition drives improvement. We must remove all woke ideology from our teaching, curriculum, and counseling. Instead, we need to focus on core academics and strengthening technical education to better prepare students for the workforce.
Haug (D): I support the full funding of Iowa public schools — the SSA of 2% is not sufficient to properly educate our children. Additionally, it is unacceptable to have public tax dollars going to private religious institutions that are allowed to deny any child they deem “unworthy” and where our tax dollars disappear into organizations without any oversight. Beyond fixing funding, I am dedicated to passing legislation that makes sense for the day to day realities of our educators — we should be listening to our exceptional professionals who understand both childhood development and education.
Do you support Iowa’s recent tax policy changes, including lowering income taxes, and what additional tax law changes would you support?
Stubbs (R): Yes, I support lowering income taxes to let Iowans keep more of what they earn and to stay competitive with neighboring states. Going forward, I’d prioritize eliminating burdensome regulations that act like hidden taxes and providing targeted relief for families, small businesses and farmers. We must also ensure responsible budgeting so tax cuts are sustainable long term.
Haug (D): This is a complicated question, because I think we all want lower taxes. However, we also want a government that works for us — that does its job facilitating its citizens’ right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The reality is that a government needs money to function, and the last decade of a Republican trifecta has lead to a $1.4 billion deficit for our state budget. I would like to institute a progressive tax rate. The wealthiest among us (and big business) should be paying their fair share.
Lohse (R): I have voted twice to lower income taxes. I have also voted on a bill designed to lower property taxes. Given the current state of the economy, the Legislature needs to be more careful in strategies to continue to lower income taxes. As for property taxes, what we have learned over the past two years is that attempts to lower property taxes are incredibly complicated. Unleashing growth should be top priority. TIF reform, assessment protest reform and transparency are three things that are proven to be achievable. As we move forward, we have to look outside the box to truly reform the system.
What actions would you support to address Iowa’s high cancer rates?
Haug (D): We need to address two things simultaneously: 1) supporting early detection and treatment, and 2) addressing the source of the cancer (nitrates, pesticides, PFAs and radon). There are multiple ways we can address this — incentivizing farmers to use more sustainable methods and radon mitigation efforts, for one. We also need, at the federal level, legislators who will not rip health care away from roughly 100,000 Iowans in order to offer tax cuts to billionaires. Rural health care is being especially hit hard from the Medicaid cuts — doors are closing and access disappearing.
Lohse (R): The Iowa House has supported a number of measures, such as radon testing in schools and radon mitigation systems in new houses. However, we have to get serious about two other primary causes of cancer in our state: smoking and nitrates. Since first elected, I have been supportive of increasing the tax on cigarettes and on taxing e-cigarettes and vapes the same as cigarettes. Further, nitrate reduction strategies such as buffer strips and cover crops, where appropriately targeted and incentivized, have also been proven to be effective in reducing nitrate levels. These should be top priority.
Stubbs (R): I would focus on prevention, early detection and accountability. That means expanding access to screenings and supporting research into environmental factors like water quality and agricultural chemicals. I’d also back stronger transparency and oversight to identify root causes, while promoting healthier lifestyles.
When do you believe it is appropriate to use eminent domain, and should it be used to build carbon capture pipelines?
Lohse (R): Eminent domain is an important part of governance to build things needed for a community, such as roads. It is also made available for use by private utility companies, such as MidAmerican, to ensure that electric and gas lines can be placed where needed. This process is regulated by the Iowa Utilities Commission. Saying carbon capture is a utility is difficult. However, current pipeline projects are now being regulated by the IUC as a utility. To change those regulations now and prohibit their use of eminent domain for current projects would be a violation of the Constitution on its own.
Stubbs (R): I do not support using eminent domain for private carbon capture pipelines. If a project is truly beneficial, it should move forward through voluntary agreements with landowners, not government coercion. Eminent domain should be used only as a last resort for clear public use only.
Haug (D): I am not a big fan of eminent domain. I think its use should be few and far between for public infrastructure/benefit that is widely accepted and desired by the population. I do not support it for the purpose of building the carbon pipeline personally, but more importantly, the use of eminent domain to build carbon pipelines is not supported by the majority of Iowans.
How would you remedy Iowa’s budget deficits driven by lost revenue? Are there certain services you would prioritize for cuts?
Stubbs (R): We need to continue to reduce the size and scope of government, not raise taxes. I will prioritize privatizing services that can be delivered more efficiently by the private sector while protecting core responsibilities like public safety and infrastructure. We should also eliminate waste, streamline agencies, and let the free market drive innovation and cost savings.
Haug (D): I am opposed to further cuts to any services for regular Iowans. Regular Iowans do not deserve to lose additional services due to the current administration’s incompetence and lack of care for regular hardworking Iowans. This may be unpopular, but we will need to increase revenue to get out of our budget crisis, which should be done by a progressive tax rate and by reverting corporate tax rates back to at least 2021 levels. I would also support legalizing marijuana, which will bring in an estimated $24 million – $60 million in tax revenue per year.
Lohse (R): Over two-thirds of the total state budget goes to public education and Medicaid spending. Another 16% goes to higher education. Ten percent goes to courts, prisons and public safety. That leaves about 15% of the budget for all other things, including economic development. As the chair of the House budget subcommittee that looks at the 10%, I can tell you there is little room for cuts in my budget. We must spread the tax burden and increase revenue by attracting new companies and residents. And we must ensure our economic development programs are achieving the right rate of return or they must end.
Read more about the 2026 primary candidates at https://www.desmoinesregister.com/.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the candidates for Iowa House District 45 in Polk County
Reporting by Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
