Democrat files in District 1

Voters in the upcoming special election for Iowa Senate District 1 are in for a contest.

Democrat Mark Lemke, of Spirit Lake, last week filed papers to get on the Dec. 14 ballot. His candidacy marks the first time a Democrat has run in District 1 since its was formed following the last round of redistricting in 2012.

"I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Iowa State Senate," he said in a news release. "The Republicans who control the Legislature are out of touch and are not representing the needs of hardworking Iowans."

Lemke grew up in Armstrong and graduated from Armstrong High School in 1974. He attended Iowa Lakes Community College, where he studied business administration. He is married with five children and eight grandchildren.

Lemke has a varied business background. He began his career working at Sears in Estherville before moving to Des Moines to work for RCA, which became General Electric in 1988. Lemke climbed the ranks to become national training manager for the northwest region before leaving GE in 1999 to start his own company. He retired in 2016 and moved to Spirit Lake, where he has served as a member of Monarch Cove Lake Association Board since 2016.

Lemke said his experiences in business have fed his political ideology. He was a precinct captain for Amy Klobuchar during the 2020 Democratic caucus and was elected delegate to the Dickinson County Democratic Convention in 2020.

"I believe that hard work deserves fair pay," he said. "Hard work should be rewarded with a middle-class life and secure retirement. In the Iowa Senate, I'll fight for policies that will raise incomes for hardworking Iowans, invest in our public schools and our children's futures, and make it easier for parents to work and raise a family."

Lemke will face off against Republican Dave Rowley in next month's special election. The winner will succeed Spirit Lake Republican Zach Whiting, who resigned from the Iowa Senate in October due to an impending move out of state. There is one year left on the term.

If elected, Lemke said he'll work hard in Des Moines for the citizens of District 1, which includes all of Clay, Osceola, Dickinson, Lyon and Palo Alto counties.

"Folks I talk to are angry and frustrated with our politics; they don't believe the politicians in Des Moines are looking out for them," he said. "It's time for a change – time for a senator who cares more about getting things done and improving the lives of hardworking Iowans than partisan politics."