Storm Lake Democrat Ashley WolfTornabane has entered the 4th Congressional District race, saying she intends to be a voice for the disadvantaged.
“I’ve always wanted to help people,” she said. “So whenever I’ve seen someone in need, I always wanted to help. And that’s a very Iowan concept. So anytime there’s an issue where there is someone who is disadvantaged, I will probably be supporting the disadvantaged person in the issue.”
For her, that means advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, for “feasible pathways for immigrants to gain citizenship” and for family farmers over “big ag.”
But she said the most important issue to her is health care, and she believes that publicly funded universal health care should be the goal.
“Without health care, we can’t be given those inalienable rights that are in our Declaration of Independence of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” she said. “How can we pursue life if we can’t even go to the doctor when we’re sick?”
WolfTornabane enters the race after Democrat Ryan Melton announced he would withdraw his candidacy following a change in personal circumstances. He ran unsuccessfully for the office in 2022 and 2024.
WolfTornabane, 35, said she grew up in Storm Lake and lives there now with her husband, Dylan, and their two children.
She’s a stay-at-home mom and previously was an instructional assistant at her public school district.
“I learned a lot about the needs of our public education system there,” she said. “And I will definitely be a champion for for those within the public school district.”
Before that, she said she was director of Christian education at the church she grew up in and still attends.
The 4th District is Iowa’s most conservative of Iowa’s four congressional districts, spanning much of northwest Iowa and the full western edge of the state. Nonpartisan analysts at Cook Political Report rate it as a “solid Republican” district.
In each of the last three elections, the Democrat on the ballot has garnered about a third of the vote, ranging from about 30% to nearly 38%.
“Those 30-37% of people matter to me,” WolfTornabane said. “And I think there are more people out there who haven’t been voting because they think that politics are only working for the billionaires on both sides. And I can kind of see where they’re coming from.”
She said she will hold listening sessions across the district’s 36 counties and eventually will hold town halls to get her message out to voters.
“I’ll be working for the everyday people, listening to the everyday people,” she said. “And I want to give them a voice instead of the special interests. And so it’s always worth it to give someone a voice, even if it’s an uphill battle.”
The district is expected to be an open seat as current Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra eyes a gubernatorial bid.
Two other Republicans are running in the primary race to succeed him: Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl and Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan.
(This story has been updated to fix a transcription error. WolfTornabane supports “feasible” pathways to citizenship.)
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Storm Lake Democrat Ashley WolfTornabane launches 4th District campaign
Reporting by Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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