Campaign Blog: 99 Days and I need your help

by Alexander Schmidt

It's ninety nine days until the general election, and I am asking for your support to help send me to the Iowa House of Representatives.

If you live in the 60th district, (here's a handy map if you're unsure) there are three steps you can take the absolute MOST effort to support me, ranked in order of importance:

1. Vote for me, either by casting an early/absentee ballot or on Election Day (Nov 3).

2. If you're able, make a donation to my campaign so you can help me spread the message.

3. Help me spread the message by getting one other person to do steps 1 & 2.

In this race, I am being outspent and outraised by my Republican opponent...but I'm used to making much more with a lot less.

After all, I can almost guarantee that, if elected, I would be the Iowa legislator with the lowest net-worth.

Elect me, and you'll elect a North Iowan to the legislature who is acutely aware of how 16 years of regressive Republican policy has pushed our state to the bottom of the pack in economic growth, new business creation, hourly pay, civil rights and workplace protections...the list is long and shameful, and it's left Iowans like me struggling to get by.

North Iowa should be sending a representative to Des Moines who has the courage to call out how our broken political system is failing Iowans. How years of broken promises has only compounded our wealth and income inequality by shifting the tax burden away from the ultra-rich, the corporations and their oligarchs at the expense of low and middle-income earners.

I shouldn't talk too much out of turn here, because I only know what I read about property taxes. It's not a lived experience for me because I'm a working-class stiff who's never had more than ten grand in the bank.

To quote Joe Exotic, "I am broke as shit."

I'd also have the honor of being the legislator with the least amount of owned property (exactly zero acres, the total of area of land I own is exactly zero) so you'd better believe I'd advocate for renters' rights. I would immediately introduce legislation to safeguard the rights of tenants and protect renters from exploitative and negligent landlords.

My campaign is not incurring debt, because I've never drawn a cent of debt in my life. Nobody's ever loaned me money, because I've never asked.

Now, I'm asking the people of North Iowa to help get me elected so I can get to work on their behalf.

I'm rejecting monies from corporations and corporate political action committees, because I don't believe the Constitution gives these entities the right to spend with impunity and buy our politicians, nor decide the outcome of elections.

The absolute best quality of this campaign is that I know my donations come from real, hard-working and thoughtful people who believe in the message I am spreading.

To those who have donated...thank you. I've stewarded your generous donations with integrity. As you'll see in our most recent finance report, virtually all of this campaign's expenses have been on printed material and postage. I have kept all my spending within the 60th District where possible, supporting local businesses first.

Our order of yard signs is the biggest campaign expense so far, for which I utilized a Davenport-based business. I'm confident this will be the only out-of-district expense.

Our signs will be delivered starting the first week of August. Every donor in the 60th district will obviously get a yard sign, but I'd like to order a bunch more. You can sign also up for a yard sign at schmidtforiahouse.com.

If you can, donate through the secure ActBlue link here or send a check made out to:

Alexander Schmidt for Iowa House

P.O. Box 42

St. Ansgar, IA 50472

Thanks so much for your support, and let's march straight on to victory in November!

-Alex