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Wiese offers ‘kinder’ leader for District 82 state representative
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · July 17, 2024
Phil Wiese said the residents of District 82 deserve options on the ballot, so he offers himself for a “kinder, more respectful way of leading.”
The Blue Grass farmer who received the Democratic nomination for state representative on June 18 said he wants to extend his interest in community service beyond his time as an Eagle Scout and volunteer first responder.
He believes he is the third cousin of his incumbent opponent, Republican Robert “Bobby” Kaufmann.
“When I saw my cousin was running unopposed, I said that people in the 82nd District deserve another option to the extreme MAGA Republican policies that he supports,” Weise said. “I think there can be a kinder, more respectful way of leading.”
He pointed to Kaufmann’s January 2022 double-middle-finger gesture during a speech about the Convention of States. Kaufmann’s speech centered on an oppressive federal government “that just oozes with contempt for the average American … (and) when it comes to these gun-grabbing, freedom-hating, over-regulating, civil-liberty-violating tyrants, here’s my message (raises two middle fingers).”
Wiese said that, despite the reasons, the gesture was inappropriate for the office.
“I’m running against a guy who is unapologetic about flipping middle fingers at our state capitol in front of a group of people – many of whom were seniors and veterans – that was tasteless, classless, and doesn’t represent Iowa values,” he said. “As a state representative, the people in the 82nd District will never have to worry about me being disrespectful. I want to be a leader they can be proud of.”
Wiese said his campaign “is about helping hardworking Iowans,” and that includes addressing inflation.
“A majority of people that live inside the 82nd district work outside of the district – they commute, so higher fuel costs are hurting people, rising food costs are hurting people, (as are rising) insurance costs,” he said. “I want to work across the aisle to come up with practical solutions to help working families.”
He said many farmers struggle due to higher input costs and low grain prices, and he wants to expand markets to increase crop prices.
Wiese, who will turn 43 later this month, grew up on a farm south of Dixon.
His family moved to a home south of Tipton when he reached sixth grade. At 18, he purchased the Tipton Maid-Rite and ran that for about two years.
He graduated from both Kirkwood Community College and the University of Iowa, then he and partner Bao moved to a farm on the outskirts of Blue Grass. He joined the Montpelier Volunteer Fire Department and said he enjoys the work and those who also serve.
“It’s a way that I’ve been able to give back to my local community,” he said. “When that (pager) goes off, you go help your neighbor in need. … I hope that someday, if we need help, somebody’s going to show up.”
Wiese also serves on the Muscatine Art Center fundraising board and served on the Domestic Violence Intervention Program of Southeast Iowa board of directors, one of the “proudest community service roles I had where we helped support vulnerable men, women, and children.”
He ran in 2016 for state representative in District 91, winning the primary though losing the election. He said that experience taught him to surround himself with good people and show gratitude to those who donate their time.
“I’m very blessed to have an amazing campaign team with volunteers from all three counties in this district,” Wiese said. “The team around you makes all the difference in the world.”
District 82 covers all of Cedar County as well as part of Scott and Muscatine counties.
He said this run for office is about “values.”
“I believe that every Iowan should have the freedom to succeed. No Iowan should be left behind,” he said. “I have more motivation this time around because I have an opponent who has been taking away people’s freedoms and, in the process hurting people. And I’ve learned to stand up not only for myself, but for all the other Iowans out there who feel powerless and feel like they don’t have a voice.”
Wiese during the nomination process called school vouchers “a disaster.” Referring to Education Savings Accounts that give $7,598 to qualifying, low-income families to help them afford private education.
He said the law “forced Iowa taxpayers to pay for elite, private schools for the wealthiest Iowans.”
“And (Kaufmann) did not even give Iowans a choice. I would reverse that decision and make sure that tax dollars support public education,” he said. “I believe in a safe, strong, public education.”
Wiese pointed to how the Iowa legislature reduced funding for Area Education Agencies. He was referring to the AEA reform with two controversial changes: 1. Sending 60 percent of AEA funding instead to schools, and allowing the schools to send it back to AEAs or use it elsewhere; and 2. Next year cutting special education funding to 90 percent and giving all funding for media and general education to school districts.
“Decimating AEA funding was also a very hurtful decision,” Wiese said. “My opponent voted to decimate AEA funding. This is funding that helps our most vulnerable Iowans: Kids with disabilities, kids that come from scary home lives, and it’s going to hurt a lot of families. No child in Iowa should be left behind. Every student in Iowa should have the freedom to succeed.”
He said his youngest sister suffers from cerebral palsy and gets around in a wheelchair.
“She relied heavily on AEA funding when she was in school,” Wiese said.
He said he also has a close friend who left a special education teaching career out of concern for decreased funding.
“She is worried that she is not going to have the resources to help her students,” Wiese said. “If she had a student who came from a scary home life, she was able to request a social worker through the AEA to … work with those students. The fear is that now they are not going to have the resources to help these students in need.”
He said he chose to run in part because Kaufman “continuously attacks vulnerable Iowans with his hurtful policies,” like privatizing Medicaid. Wiese said he recently met a family who said their daughter’s social worker of 12 years was replaced and, in the past year, she had seven different social workers.
“(This change) was a disaster that only hurts Iowa families,” he said. “As a state representative, I’m going to work hard to ensure that every Iowa family has the resources they need to succeed.”
Also during the Democratic nomination, Wiese expressed a need for “equal rights” and “women’s rights.”
He said he supports “reproductive freedoms” for women.
“And I will also stop the culture wars,” Wiese said. “My opponent is fighting culture wars and I believe they’re irrelevant issues. It’s how my opponent and Republicans divide us over non-issues, and they’re hurting people in the process. Taking away freedoms and picking on people because of who they are is not conservative and it doesn’t represent Iowa values. I believe in treating women and every Iowan (with respect) no matter your background, race, religion, or sexual orientation.”
Two years ago, the Iowa legislature cut unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 16 weeks to motivate people to get back to work following the coronavirus pandemic. Wiese said the change takes away well-funded benefits.
“The benefits need to be restored. My opponent and the extreme MAGA Republicans at the state house lowered the unemployment benefit … (and) it was a disastrous decision,” he said. “It only hurts hardworking Iowans, especially Iowans who work manufacturing jobs. … I don’t understand why they did that. It almost feels like my opponent is selling Iowans’ prosperity to the highest bidder.”
In his campaign announcement, Weise said he enjoys hunting, fishing, and beekeeping.
Editor's note: This story was updated on July 25, 2024, to correct the phrase to "Democratic nomination."
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