Candidates seek state senate office (Part 1)

Uhlenkamp vies for state senate seat

By JEFF SNYDER

MOUNT AYR, Iowa —James Uhlenkamp of Mount Ayr recently paid a visit to the Mount Ayr Record News to share his vision of what the role as State Senator for District 9 would look like should he win the election on November 3.
During the interview, Uhlenkamp, running as a Democrat, made it clear that his goal was really quite simple, in so much as he wants to be a senator for all people in Iowa.
Uhlenkamp He previously sought election to Iowa House District 24 in 2018.
He taught English at Southwestern Community College in Creston for three years after which he taught and worked at several small colleges
We touched on his loyalty to the Democrat party, but he emphasized that it is his desire to search out common issues that could be shared regardless of party affiliation and his intent to focus on resolution of issues rather than just towing the party line.
When asked what his priorities were going into this race he was quick to point out the concerns over the rising cancer rates in Iowa. He also spent some time talking about the need for the agriculture industry to be closely examined to see if there were ways to increase efficiencies and bolster revenues for the industry.
Uhlenkamp said that through careful management of crop diversity, additional revenue dollars could be accessed.
“We’re basically a two crop state,” he said.
He indicated that roughly 70 percent of the corn raised in Iowa goes toward the production of ethanol, further limiting the option growers have for the sale of their products.
Circling back to the cancer problem, Uhlenkamp noted that he was working with people who are researching a scientific device that could help to identify the quality of water as it comes out of the various “tile” lines spread throughout the state that help to remove runoff water from the fields.
There are many who believe that ground water which has been exposed to farming operations may be contributing to the higher than average cancer rates throughout Iowa. The theory is that pesticides and fertilizers used by many farmers ultimately find their way into ground water with negative effects on the overall water quality in the state. The measuring tool Uhlenkamp referenced would enable the counties and the state a more precise way of measuring the toxicity of the water as it is being reintroduced to the ground water systems and streams that feed the state’s water supply. He further indicated that this equipment is still in the experimental stages and is still a ways off from production, but promised to continue to support this type of research.
Uhlenkamp is a well-educated, well-traveled candidate who represents himself as a healer of sorts. He wants to see Iowa venture back to its roots as a hard-working, great public education state that had historically found itself in the top of the public school rankings. He is hyper-focused on solving problems even if that means butting heads with his own party from time to time. He went on to express his desire to help the smaller rural counties like Ringgold and small counties throughout Iowa, to enable them to have an equal voice in legislative issues despite their minimal impact on the overall vote counts.
Uhlenkamp presents himself as less a politician and more of a problem solver and caretaker. He hopes his connection to the education systems in the state as a former teacher and administrator make him uniquely qualified to take on the education issues head on.
“It’s about making Iowa a better place.” Uhlenkamp said.