Editor's Note: Vinton Today invited candidates to introduce themselves to the voters and to share a little bit with you about their stance on the issues. We will publish these as they arrive.


My name is Michael Franken. I was born in rural Sioux County. I joined the Navy before going to college and retired thirty-seven years later as a three-star admiral. I'm running for U.S. Senate, because we have to address the big problems that we face: overcoming covid-19, fixing healthcare, beating climate change, and wrenching special interests out of our politics.


I want to ensure access to healthcare for every American by putting a Medicare option on the exchange. I think every American should be able to choose if they want Medicare or remain on private plans. I also want to lower prescription drug costs by negotiating directly with drug companies or, if necessary, capping prices.


We need to beat climate change in this generation. I want to enlist Iowa farmers to lead that fight. Through carbon sequestration and federal grants to reward environmental stewardship, we can save the planet and lift up farmers.


And we have to get Wall Street greed and special interests out of our politics. I support either term limits or public financing of elections - whatever is necessary to return power to voters.


Fundamentally, I am running because Iowans deserve principled, experienced leadership. I spent the 80s at sea, the 90s learning Washington, D.C. and the 2000s fighting our wars on terror. In 2002, I was the only member of the Iraq War planning board to vote no on the Iraq War. I am the only candidate who has actually fought a pandemic before - Ebola, in Africa. I also am the only candidate with legislative experience; having served three tours in legislative affairs for the US Navy, I even have more years on Capitol Hill than Joni Ernst does.


Serving my country, I learned that Iowa values and good governance are the same thing. I want to restore Iowa values to Washington.

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