Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025
Vol. 6, No. 9
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
Brad Magg to run for Iowa House District 38 again in 2026
Democratic candidate announces campaign at annual soup supper fundraiser By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Brad Magg is making another run for Iowa House District 38. His decision to run is so fresh he hasn’t even gotten the chance to tell his mother. She will no doubt have some choice words to say to her son, but she will also support him every step of the way. Just like before. Democrats in Jasper County feel the same way. The city councilman and local business owner made the announcement during the annual Jasper County Democrats Soup Supper, a pivotal fundraiser for the local party. He was met with a standing ovation from fellow Democrats, and an encouraging hug from Iowa House Rep. Ross Wilburn of Story County. “You’ll be the first to hear
it: I am going to run again,” Magg said. “So, giddy-up, we’re going to do it again!” Bryan Friedman, chair of the Jasper County Democratic Party, said Magg ran an “excellent campaign” for Iowa House last year. Magg said he managed to raise $40,000 for his campaign. Dunwell raised more than twice that amount in 2024. Still, just before Election Day 2024 Magg felt confident in his campaign. “I had amazing volunteers,” Magg said at the soup supper. “You guys showed up in full force. And I was ready. We didn’t do it, but, hey, stuff happens and we learn. Despite losing by 10 points, we were still one of the most overperforming House candidates in the state.” It was also a presidential MAGG | 3
Jasper County Health Department following through on commitment to address housing needs
Community Health Needs Assessment identified housing as a top concern in Jasper County By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Brad Magg for Iowa Brad Magg, a Democrat, has announced his campaign for Iowa House in the 2026 election cycle.
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Trunk or Treat 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 25 Monroe Square
In an effort to address housing needs in Jasper County, the county health department shared a draft of its housing referral flow sheet during last month’s Board of Health meeting. Results from the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) conducted last year identified housing as a major concern in the county. Of the residents surveyed by the CHNA, almost half said they experienced problems with their current living arrangement. Housing damage was identified as the top issue for almost half of respondents with lack of affordable housing impacting just a little more than 20 percent of the residents. Creating a referral form was one of the ways the health department plans to address the housing issues in the county. By identifying the issues, the department can more successfully refer people to resources specific to their needs. “The goal of the program is to offer resources to help people be self-sufficient,” the referral said. “We will not enable people.” The form starts with an intake portion to learn about the person’s name, date of birth, contact information, address, employment status and current living situation. It also looks to assess what resources are available to the person, including support from family, friends, neighbors, school, church or other sources. It then addresses what the current housing issue is for the person. It looks to find out if they are homeless or unable to pay rent or the mortgage. It also digs into other sources that may be a struggle, such as maintaining the residence, paying utilities, making repairs or needing items such as a ramp or furniture. For home owners or renters that have issues, the top response in the CHNA was lack of complete plumbing facilities followed by lack of complete kitchen facilities, one or more occupants per room and monthly housing costs, both renting and owning, greater than 30 percent. In the county, 23.58 percent of households have housing costs exceeding 30 percent of their total household income. The rate is slightly higher than the state average of 23.04 percent. When it comes to accomplishing tasks for a residence, the form asks if there are any barriers to HOUSING | 3
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek wants to live up to the legacy of Tom Harkin By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Josh Turek knows the kind of impact a good senator from Iowa can have on Americans. Had it not been for the work of former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin to create the Americans with Disabilities Act, Turek might not be where he is today: a state lawmaker, a Paralympian, a Democratic candidate running for Harkin’s old seat. “The ADA and Senator Harkin’s work literally provided me an onramp onto society to be suc-
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cessful,” Turek said. “We here in Iowa deserve to once again have a senator that is going to fight for the people, fight for the working class, that is going to fight for our farmers, that is going to fight for small business.” For Turek, it is important for Iowa to have a representative in the U.S. Senate who will also fight for social safety nets like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. It is these social safety nets, Turek added, that have allowed him to be successful after being diagnosed with spina bifida at birth.
As the first permanently disabled member of the Iowa Legislature, Turek carries that title like a badge of honor. It is also a main reason why he decided to run for office in the first place back in 2022. Turek told Jasper County Democrats last week that he is giving a voice to the one in five Iowans with a disability. “We have representatives like Ashley Hinson up there who does not care about the plights of the most vulnerable, does not care about people’s TUREK | 3
Former U.S. senator’s work on ADA provided candidate ‘an onramp onto society’
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer Iowa House Rep. Josh Turek, who is running for U.S. Senate, speaks to local party members during the Jasper County Democrats Soup Supper on Oct. 5 at the E.J.H. Beard Administration Center in Newton.
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