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Warren campaigns in Marshalltown

Focuses on money in politics

T-R PHOTO BY SHANNON RABOTSKI U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks education and money to a large crowd of voters at Fisher Elementary School Sunday.

Hundreds of residents from Marshalltown and beyond packed the Fisher Elementary School gymnasium Sunday, to listen to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts speak.

Warren first visited Marshalltown in March and with 22 days left until the caucus, she returned in a final attempt to secure the support of voters.

She was introduced to the crowd by former housing secretary Julian Castro. Castro ended his own presidential run in early January. He has since endorsed Warren for president and cited his personal relationship with her which allowed him to see her passion for change and supporting others.

“It was the people that she was concerned about,” Castro said. “The people that we are supposed to serve.”

Warren opened the town hall by discussing her own life story. In doing so, she placed extra focus on her experiences as a public-school teacher.

T-R PHOTO BY SHANNON RABOTSKI Former Housing Secretary Julian Castro spoke to an excited crowd before introducing Warren to the stage.

Alex Abbe, a government history teacher at Marshalltown High School, came to the event hoping to hear more about Warren’s stance on education. Abbe was not alone. As Warren told her life story she asked if there were other teachers in the crowd. A sea of hands shot up.

“I have known what I wanted to be since second grade,” Warren said. “I wanted to be a public-school teacher.”

Most of the teachers who attended the event had a focus on education.

Retired middle school teacher Linda Ruiter attends all caucus events that she can and has kept her mind open on who she will be caucusing for. However she sides particularly strongly with Warren’s stance on the importance of education.

“She really spoke through her heart,” Ruiter said.

Warren’s education eventually took her to law school where she taught classes focused on money in politics. Her interest in that subject never went away and it has become a major topic in her campaign.

Attendees asked Warren a variety of questions, ranging from her stance on vaping to how she will combat the national debt, but she brought almost every question back to how the influence of money in politics can cause corruption.

“Whatever issue brought you here today, if there is a decision to be made in Washington, I guarantee it has been influenced by money,” she said.

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Contact Shannon Rabotski

at srabotski@timesrepublican.com

or 641-753-6611.

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