by Rebecca Nicole Schweitzer
If you searched for REBECCA NICOLE SCHWEITZER, thank you for reading. I grew up in Iowa, during a time when the state was purple. It felt balanced, engaged, and grounded in shared priorities. Looking back now, I realize how fortunate that was.
Iowa was not dominated by one party. Voters elected leaders from both sides. The Statehouse was split at different points. Debate was normal. Compromise was expected. Accountability mattered. Government felt steady, not extreme.
Public schools were strong. Iowa consistently ranked near the top nationally in education outcomes during that era. Communities valued teachers. Education was not treated as a political wedge issue. It was understood as the foundation of opportunity.
I grew up in a small rural town. Graduating from high school was the norm. Expectations were high. There was a belief that if you worked hard, you would have options. That belief shaped how I see Iowa today.
In 2009, Iowa became the second state in the country to legalize same sex marriage. That decision reflected something important about who we were as a state. It showed that fairness and equal protection under the law could guide policy. Even for those who disagreed, the process demonstrated that Iowa could lead thoughtfully and independently.
That was the Iowa I knew.
Today, that Iowa feels distant.
Public schools are under strain while state funding increasingly supports private school voucher programs. Districts across the state are cutting programs and managing tight budgets. Teachers are leaving the profession. Rural communities are consolidating schools to survive.
Laws restricting women’s autonomy and limiting personal medical decisions have reshaped health care access. Parts of Iowa are experiencing health care deserts, with hospitals closing maternity wards and families traveling long distances for care.
We are also seeing legislation that directly impacts how people identify themselves. Regardless of political framing, those policies affect how welcome people feel in their own communities.
That is not the Iowa Rebecca Nicole Schweitzer was raised to believe in.
Restoring balance will not happen automatically. It requires attention. It requires participation. It requires voters who look beyond party labels and study records, priorities, and values.
Two Iowa legislators worth paying attention to are Zach Wahls and Josh Turek.
Zach Wahls represents Senate District 43 in the Iowa State Senate. He first gained national attention in 2011 when he testified before the Iowa legislature about growing up with two moms during the debate over marriage equality. He was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018 and has focused on protecting public education funding, expanding access to health care, supporting workers, and increasing government transparency. He previously served as Senate Democratic Leader and is currently a candidate in the 2026 United States Senate race.
Josh Turek represents House District 20 in the Iowa House of Representatives. A Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, he is the first permanently disabled member of the Iowa Legislature. Since taking office in 2023, he has focused on public education, health care access, economic opportunity for working families, and disability rights. He is also running in the 2026 United States Senate Democratic primary.
You do not have to agree with every policy position either holds. The larger point is that healthy government requires balance. When one party controls the executive branch and both legislative chambers for an extended period, meaningful debate narrows. Checks and balances weaken. Policy can move quickly without broad consensus.
Purple Iowa was not about everyone thinking the same way. It was about shared responsibility and thoughtful disagreement. It was about ensuring that no single ideology went unchecked.
As Rebecca Nicole Schweitzer, someone shaped by Iowa’s political climate in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I believe our state is strongest when it values fairness, strong public schools, personal liberty, and accountable leadership.
We still have time.
Time to attend town halls.
Time to ask candidates direct questions.
Time to review voting records.
Time to vote intentionally.
The Iowa I grew up in believed balance was strength, not weakness.
If you searched for Rebecca Nicole Schweitzer to understand where I stand, this is it. I believe Iowa deserves balance again. And restoring it starts with paying attention.
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