OSAGE – Deb Scharper of rural Osage announced today that she is running as a Democrat for the Iowa State Senate District 26.
Senate District 26 is comprised of Chickasaw, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell and Worth counties, as well as portions of Cerro Gordo and Winneshiek counties.
“We must elect leaders in the Statehouse who are willing to listen to all Iowans and work to find solutions that will make our state a better place to live, work and raise a family,” Scharper said. “I have a passion for public service and for helping families and communities.”
An Iowa native and graduate of Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock High School, Scharper is a CT Technician at the Mason City Clinic.
Deb is also active in the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), where she serves as an Ambassador for the State of Iowa. Her duties include building connections at the community level, speaking publicly and working with local healthcare providers, and advocating on behalf of those with frontotemporal degeneration, which is the leading cause of dementia in people younger than 60.
Scharper and her husband Cory are raising three children. Cory owns and operates Scharper Services in Osage, a small business that provides electrical, snow removal, tree removal and trucking services. They are members of the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Osage.
Scharper outlined several other key issues that inspired her to run, including areas where state policymakers have neglected the interests of Iowans living in small towns and rural areas:
- Improving access to and affordable healthcare for all Iowans. This includes increasing access to mental health services and addressing serious problems with a privatized Medicaid system.
- Focusing more state resources on creating good-paying jobs.
- Adequately funding local public schools, community colleges, and job training programs.
- Expanding access to high-speed internet in all corners of the state.
“I will be a Senator who will listen to all sides of an issue, set partisan politics aside, and solve real problems,” she said. “I will be visiting every corner of the district to listen to as many people as possible. I encourage anyone to contact me scharperforiowa@gmail.com.”
The incumbent Senator for Iowa Senate District 26 is Republican Waylon Brown of St. Ansgar, elected in 2016.