County Democrats Plan Five Visits from Congressional Candidate

SIGOURNEY – The Keokuk County Democratic Party held its annual convention on the morning of March 23. Interim chair Kay Graham was reappointed as chair. Gini Garret was reappointed as secretary. Hugh Kelly and Kay Graham were appointed as delegates at the district and state conventions, with Gini Garret being named an alternate for both conventions, Mary Krier named an alternate for the district convention and Chirs Ridenuer named as alternate for the state convention. The party discussed finances, with Graham stating that it is an important year and the party needs money to survive and Rideneur, the Treasurer, stating the party has $975.42 in the bank. The party discussed raffling off a cross stitch, having a pie auction, holding a poker run, or giving t-shirts to donors as ways to raise funds. The party also discussed having floats in various parades over the summer, holding a voter registration booth at the What Cheer Flea Market in October, going to schools and registering graduating seniors to vote, sending out targeted postcards, calling people whose voter registration has lapsed, and helping seniors obtain absentee voting forms as ways to get people to vote this year.

Graham stated that the national and state-level Democratic Parties don’t do enough to support rural parties and that candidates can’t afford to campaign in small, poor counties like Keokuk. She explained that the Keokuk County party had partnered with the parties of Mahaska, Jefferson, Van Burren and Henry County parties to form a joint educational 501c4 named the Rural Restoration Project, designed to educate counties and work with campaigns. The Rural Restoration Project has spoken with Christina Bohannan, a Democratic candidate running for Iowa’s 1st Congressional Candidate. Bohannan previously served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2021-2023. She ran against Republican incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks in 2022, losing 142,173 votes to 162,947. Bohannan is seeking a rematch in the 2024 election.

The five-county parties have arranged for Bohannan to visit all five counties five different times, with each visit centered on a different topic. The first visit to Keokuk County will be held on April 3, at the Senior Center in Sigourney, from 10-11 a.m. Bohannan plans to talk about senior care and emphasize that Iowa ranks 49th in the nation for the number of healthcare inspections. Krier stated that the nursing home care in Keokuk County is “horrid.”