(via social media)
SHEFFIELD – Shannon Latham, a pumpkin patch operator from Sheffield, officially filed nomination petitions Friday to enter the campaign for Iowa Senate District 27 as a Republican against Democrat Amanda Ragan of Mason City.
“What a humbling experience to officially file nomination petitions for the Iowa Senate,” Latham said Friday via social media. “I am fired up, laser focused, and ready to get to work. I look forward to knocking on your door, listening to your concerns and ideas, and earning your vote. Let’s grow North Iowa together!”
Back in November, Latham, age 46, officially announced her candidacy to challenge incumbent Senator Amanda Ragan in November 2018. Since then, Ragan has been busy campaigning and Latham is attempting to raise money.
According to the Iowa Republican party, Shannon Latham is co-owner and vice president of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. The company was founded in 2004 by her husband, third-generation seedsman John Latham.
Prior to joining the family business full-time in 2007, Latham operated her own communications and public relations business. Other previous work includes serving as an agricultural program coordinator for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and legislative affairs director for the Agribusiness Association of Iowa.
In her campaign, Latham will focus on education, economic development, and revitalizing rural Iowa. She understands the importance of these issues in making Iowa communities attractive places to live and raise families.
Latham recognizes the value of a strong education system that works for all Iowa students. Through an emphasis on trade schools and individualized learning, Latham believes in building a quality workforce by helping students reach their full potential and ensuring graduates are career-ready.
Multiple roles in the private sector have given Latham insight into the need to build strong, attractive communities to encourage our career-ready graduates to stay in Iowa. One way to achieve this is by reducing taxes, which will also attract top talent from other states by rewarding work and investment.
Her work on the advisory committee for the Agriculture Entrepreneurship Initiative at Iowa State University and as a trustee on the Iowa 4-H Foundation illustrates her commitment to rural Iowa. As owner and operator of Enchanted Acres – a pumpkin patch in Sheffield – Latham gives educational tours to young students. She believes improved agriculture literacy is crucial to revitalizing Iowa’s rural communities. Latham is committed to empowering job creators to bring employment opportunities to rural communities in agriculture-related industries.
Shannon Latham lives in Franklin County with her husband John and two children.
Alls I can say is we are glad this rich Latham lady is going for it, we will beat her you wait. The Republipuke’s don’t know how mad we are at their greed down to the capital, they will find out.
Heard a couple months ago Ron Minert’s boy was going to run, he might of beat Amanda, alot of workers he could of got. No worry now, more proof Republitards are dumb, to run this pumpkin grower.
Well the Republipuke’s better get ready to get beat.
@ Local, I heard the same, regarding Mr. Minert considering challenging Amanda. One of my partners told me that when the elder Minert suffered a stroke, his son decided to forgo this race.
Last fall, John Stone told me that of Amanda’s potential opponents the only one he feared was Steve Minert. Until the orange haired buffoon in the oval office won Mason City, I never thought I’d see the day that a right wing wacko could win here.
It happened, though, and it can recur, unfortunately.
Does anyone know if Todd Blodgett is involved in Latham’s campaign? If so, I will caution Amanda to be very wary, because Toddy boy plays dirty. He learned his tricks from the racist Lee Atwater, who was pure evil, and from Ronald Raygun, who was the biggest con man ever, until Trump came along.
I don’t know if Mr. Blodgett plays dirty or not, but Amanda, herself, told me that Alex Kuhn and Todd were very close friends. Sharon Steckman told me this, too. And I knew Alex well enough to know he would not have associated with anybody who was corrupt.
I know some people who know Blodgett, they all say he is off the charts smart and eats and breathes politics. But I have read his columns and I find his views to be abhorrent. I will speak to Amanda about this, thanks for the thought.
@ #340, how do you know Blodgett worked for Atwater?
@ JD, Blodgett is a typical Republitard don’t give a rat’s about working people he knows how to get blue collars to vote for Republitard canidates.
He will have to answer one day for the misery he has cause workers on count of the Republitard’s he got in at our expense.
We helped Joe LaPointe he ran against Doc B, Todd’s dad, the Blodgett’s put out like 1,500 yard signs in places should of voted Democrat. Far as I am concern these are votes that got stole.
@ Union, so your saying Union votes are just for Dems? Thats funny I thought every vote was up for grabs, let the best one win.
Ok we get it, your mad because Blodgett knows how to get Democrats to vote GOP. So I guess you hate on Trump to, right.
Our son, he is friends with Todd, we have met the man. Nice guy and alot smarter then you.
Liberalism is a Mental Disorder, symptoms include, cronic whinning, cronic lying, dizzyness, lack of intelligence (see comments above), and pure ignorance (see above again), most of all lack of common sense. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms go hide in you quiet place and shut the hell up.
Good We need more business people in public office instead of swamp dwellers .
It is time for a change just like with jay urdahl. Amanda has been in office long enough and done really nothing in the Iowa senate. Time for some fresh ideas.
This is great news, finally we can get rid of Amada and break the spend sisters relationship in Des Moines.
“spend sisters”?
You sound exactly like the stupid old coot.
Ya, let’s give taxapyer money to the Latham’s instead, huh?
You all just like to bend over and take in the ass from Republican bullshit artists.
You need to grow up and grow a pair instead of being such an idiot & a sheep following the flock.
Man up bucko and be man for a change.
Marie, you are one giant lemming. How much does the party pay you?
Ya right, just what we need, another Latham Republiturd in the mix.
The Latham family has sucked up hundreds if thousands of dollars in Farm Subsidies….spell that Farm Welfare.
I’ll bet she can spell and that is more than you can do. Why wouldn’t she take what is legal? You Democrats take more welfare than anyone else and have no room to talk. We need to clean out the swamp and this is a good place to start.
Dumbass.
Chuck Grassley & the Ernst family have taken hundres of thousands of dollars in Tax payer “farm subsidies” you just keep kissing their asses and bend over and take it in the ass.
Liberals are so open minded their brains have fallen out.