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(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second of a two-part District 52 candidate question and answers.)
Two candidates will face off against each other in the Nov. 3 general election for the Iowa House of Representatives District 52 seat.
Incumbent Republican David Blom of Marshalltown, a sheet metal worker and former legislative clerk, is seeking to hold onto the seat after winning his first legislative election in 2024 when he beat Democrat incumbent Sue Cahill.
The challenger is political newcomer and Democratic candidate Mike Tupper of Marshalltown, the former Marshalltown Police Department chief who retired after 13 years in 2025.
District 52 covers the city of Marshalltown and the southeast portion of Marshall County, including the communities of Ferguson, Gilman, Haverhill, Laurel and Le Grand.
The candidates’ answers to the second half of the T-R’s questionnaire are printed below.
Rising cancer rates are a concern for many Iowans. What action should the legislature take to lower the rate?
Blom: Cancer affects every Iowan. Whether it’s a family member or a friend, we all know someone who’s fought the horrible disease. In the statehouse, I supported historic investment in cancer research, including $3 million for pediatric cancer because no Iowa parent should hear the word “cancer” from their child’s doctor. These investments are important to get to the root of Iowa’s cancer crisis. I look forward to using this investment to guide future policy decisions. For early detection, I’ve supported increased access to cancer screenings and rural access to mammograms, MRIs, FIT tests and colonoscopies. For cancer prevention, I supported expanding radon mitigation and look forward to passing further legislation to prevent cancer from affecting more Iowa families.
Tupper: We all know that Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the country and one of the fastest rising growth rates, and it is heartbreaking that so many of us have to experience this firsthand. Politicians have stuck their heads in the sand for too long while Iowans suffer. Some easy solutions to help lower the rate include fully funding water quality monitors, so we know whether the water our families drink contains nitrates, which can cause cancer. I also want to hold big corporations accountable if their products that are either in the air we breathe or in the water cause cancer for Iowans.
We should tighten limits on agricultural runoff, specifically nitrates, in waterways from corn farming and livestock manure. We can expand mandates for radon testing and mitigation in existing buildings and schools. I also want to look at ways to protect Medicaid expansion and increase access to preventative care and biomarker testing. We must increase state appropriations for pediatric and general cancer research.
With physicians leaving the state and medical facilities either closing or reducing services, what will you do to repair the healthcare system in Iowa?
Blom: Like every state in the nation, Iowa is dealing with a shortage of doctors and healthcare staff, rising costs of care and the need to ensure access to quality services in rural and underserved areas of our state. With rising costs, it’s more important than ever that we increase access to affordable healthcare. I’ve supported numerous proposals to improve healthcare in Iowa.
I’m proud to have supported policies to recruit and retain healthcare providers, especially for healthcare deserts. Iowa higher education institutions train some of the best healthcare professionals in the country. That’s why we took steps that will make it more likely that the health care professionals educated and trained in Iowa stay in Iowa to provide care. Additionally, I supported legislation to speed up Iowans' access to the care they need and lower the administrative burden on health care providers, allowing them to spend more time with patients.
When it comes to women's health, we rank 14th in the nation and have been named the 11th best state to have a baby. However, there are many counties in Iowa that do not have an OBGYN and we've seen hospitals in rural Iowa close their birthing centers. This is why I voted for legislation to remove the requirement that birth centers must obtain a certificate of need prior to opening or expanding their services, ultimately removing a regulatory burden that may be serving as an obstacle to women receiving birthing care closer to home.
Properly staffing and supporting the Iowa Veterans Home is especially important to me. Our veterans gave their all to defend our freedom. They deserve the very best care and support our nation can provide. I’m proud to have secured more than $8.1 million within our state budget for the Iowa Veterans Home, many of these dollars going to the care of our veterans.
Tupper: Unfortunately, if you have an emergency in Marshall County, you are likely to have to go to another county for treatment. We do not have access to affordable healthcare here in Marshalltown, and politicians in Des Moines have made it worse by privatizing Medicaid and taxing health plans, policies which are both causing our rates to go up. We need to reverse the privatization of Medicaid and expand telehealth services to create more access to quality healthcare and make our state more welcoming for healthcare professionals to move here.
Childcare is still a big financial burden for many families. For other families, it is not available as there are no open spots for their children. What can the state do to provide relief?
Blom: Parents across the state struggle to find safe and affordable places to send their children. I am committed to finding ways to increase access to quality, affordable child care in every corner of the state. In the Iowa House, I supported multiple pieces of legislation to remove unnecessary burdens of entry for the childcare workforce and to recruit and retain childcare professionals.
For Iowa families, I supported allocating almost $33 million for the State Child Care Assistance Program, helping low-income families with working parents pay for child care. One proposal that has yet to pass, but I will continue to fight for, is one to eliminate the income maximum threshold to qualify for the Iowa child and dependent care tax credit. With this change, all families with income more than $25,000 will be eligible to take advantage of this credit. I will continue to look for ways to expand access to affordable childcare.
Tupper: Like the rest of the state, Marshalltown faces a lack of child care options, which drives up prices. The legislature can combat this in two ways: First, establish a grant program for child care workers that would raise their wages and ensure good benefits so that Iowa can retain and attract quality child care workers to the state. Second, we could invest more in small businesses with a tax credit so they can provide child care for their employees.
School districts have said the amount of money received from the state each year needs to be increased. Do you agree with that stance? Please explain. How much money do you think districts should receive each year?
Blom: Education is a top priority for Iowans, which is reflected in the fact that it receives the majority of the state budget. The fiscal year 2027 budget increased funding for K-12 schools and community colleges. I’m proud to have helped secure more than $4 billion for public education. As the son of a public school teacher, I understand the importance of investing in student outcomes and bringing students, teachers and parents to the table to improve Iowa’s education system.
I supported millions in new funding for both public schools and community colleges. It’s important that our high school students have a variety of opportunities to achieve their post-graduation goals. Within the state education budget, we created the Career Training Physical Expansion Program and allocated $3.5 million in financial backing to build new, state-of-the-art facilities at community colleges and within both union and non-union private sector programs. If there is a drive to expand training in high demand fields, we want to ensure the state will work those wanting to fill high demand jobs. If re-elected, I will continue to fight for increased investments in public schools and education which are investments in our state’s future.
Tupper: At a bare minimum, we need to invest enough in our public schools to keep up with the rising costs seen from inflation. Our state has given away a billion dollars to private school vouchers while public schools suffer. In our community, much like most towns across Iowa, our public school is the heart of our community and what brings us together. I want to fully fund our public schools and believe that instead of cutting corporate taxes for big companies that ship jobs overseas, we should invest in our state’s future by ensuring our children have the best public education system in the country again.
What particular LGBTQ+ issues would you more than likely address and why?
Blom: I'll work for all Marshall county residents, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity or background. In my first term, I was proud to work for constituents of all backgrounds to ensure the state government works for them, not the other way around.
Tupper: As a police officer for 32 years, and a police chief for more than 20 years, it was my job to serve and protect everyone without regard to their demographics, lifestyles or personal beliefs. All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I will continue to serve all Iowans in this manner as a member of the Iowa Legislature.
During this campaign, the divisive culture war rhetoric pushed by my opponent has not once come up as a topic of concern with the Iowans I have met or talked to at their doors. Instead, the hard-working people of Marshall County are talking about cancer rates, water quality, unaffordable housing, rising grocery and gas prices and a lack of support for public education.
For the past 10 years, politicians in Des Moines have focused more on pushing culture war issues and punching down on Iowans rather than working to make Iowa a place where people can earn a good wage for an honest day's work. As your representative, I believe our government should respect the rights of every person. Instead of pushing division and false culture war narratives, I will focus my time in the legislature on trying to create an economy that works for everyone by raising wages for workers and making our communities safer and more affordable.
Please explain why you are the best candidate for voters.
Blom: I'm not a career politician. I'm a Marshalltown native and a union sheet metal worker, who was tired of watching out-of-touch career politicians make decisions that impact working class families. I'm running for my second term to continue fighting for Marshall County families, give back to blue collar workers and strengthen our community.
My focus remains affordability, public safety, education and a healthier Iowa. Now more than ever, I’m focused on affordability, fighting for property tax relief for our residents and keeping state taxes and state government spending under control to fight inflation. To improve public safety, I’m increasing funding for law enforcement, ensuring violent repeat criminals are kept behind bars instead of being released into our neighborhoods and increasing penalties for human traffickers and drug dealers who sell fentanyl. Education is near and dear to my heart as the son of a Marshalltown teacher. I will always fight for our local schools. I supported historic investment in Iowa's public K-12 education and the expansion of apprenticeship and training programs that equip our workforce for well-paying careers in the building trades and manufacturing industries. Last but not least, I’m dedicated to a healthier future for our state by taking on the cancer crisis and providing healthier food options and access to clean water.
I’m asking for your vote on Nov. 3 so that we can continue working together to make Marshall County an even better place to live, work and raise a family.
Tupper: I spent more than three decades in law enforcement and more than 20 years as a police chief, and that experience taught me that public service should be about solving problems and making people’s lives better. Throughout this campaign, I have heard the same concerns from people across Marshall County: they want safe communities, good public schools, affordable housing and health care, clean water, good-paying jobs and a government that respects local communities and spends their tax dollars wisely. Those are the priorities I will take with me to the statehouse. I will work with people from both parties, listen to the people I represent and focus on practical solutions that make Marshall County a safer, stronger and more affordable place to live, work, raise a family and retire. I love this community. It is our home. The good people of this district deserve a representative who cares, who shows up and who has the policy experience to advocate for them at the statehouse.
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.