Editorial: Meeting the candidates

Lynn Evans of Aurelia will be our next state senator by virtue of a June victory in a Republican primary that was waged mainly to the west of Buena Vista County. Evans is a former school superintendent who is practical and sensible and will stick up for rural education. He’s a nice guy with no ideological ax to grind.

Megan Jones of rural Sioux Rapids is well on her way to becoming our state representative. The Republican already serves as a state representative for Clay County, and the decennial redistricting put Buena Vista County into her district. She faces a challenge from Democrat Jim Eliason of Storm Lake. The district tilts heavily toward the GOP, and Eliason has a steep uphill climb. Jones is approachable and polite, and is eager to engage with critics and supporters. Like Evans, she is not an ideologue.

Evans and Jones are not that well-known in Storm Lake. The community would do well to arrange an event to get to know your legislative candidates before the midterm elections. We’re not talking about a debate. Just a social hour, perhaps something sponsored by Storm Lake United as they do with legislative breakfasts during the session. Or, at least the city council could invite them to a meeting where the city could familiarize them more with Storm Lake’s issues — immigration, education, drinking water improvements, the marina and lake, aid to private education, and more. Storm Lake has unique issues that are not the same as Aurelia’s or Spencer’s. It’s up to us to advocate our position to our legislators, and make certain they know what is most important to The City Beautiful.

We do not mean to suggest that any candidate is taking Storm Lake for granted. We should not assume that they are intimately familiar with zebra mussels, support for multi-lingual policing and training, or how to increase teacher training statewide through Buena Vista University. It would be good for voters and for Evans, Jones and Eliason to get to know each other better. We have interviewed them and tried to tell you about them, but there’s nothing like sizing up a candidate in the flesh.