Manning native Matt Campbell, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House 5th District seat, held a meet-and-greet in Carroll Sunday afternoon. Campbell is seeking the nomination against Mike Denklau of Council Bluffs in the June 8 primary. Daily Times Herald photo by Larry Devine
Democratic U.S. House candidate Matt Campbell is a son of Harry and Dianne Campbell of Manning and is a 1989 graduate of Manning High School. His mom (left) has been a secretary in Manning schools for 31 years and accompanies Matt on many of his weekend campaign stops. Daily Times Herald photo by Larry Devine
Democrat Matt Campbell, a Manning native aiming to defeat Republican incumbent Steve King in the 5th District U.S. House election, tells audiences that considering the condition of nation’s economy he sees three top issues in the campaign: jobs, jobs, jobs.
Campbell said one way he can spur the economy in western Iowa’s 32-county 5th District, is to be more effective and less partisan than King, who’s seeking his fifth term in Congress.
Campbell, who visited Carroll Sunday afternoon for a meet-and-greet at Rancho Grande restaurant on what he calls his For a Strong America Tour, said a big reason he’s entered the race for the June 8 Democratic nomination is King’s lack of accomplishments in Congress.
“Some people are surprised,” Campbell said, “when they learn (King’s) never written a bill that’s become law — and he was elected in 2002. When he and his staff are making more than $2 million a year, I feel Iowans certainly need a better return for that expenditure of tax dollars.”
Campbell said he considers himself a centrist politically who’s a fiscal conservative.
On the other hand he said of King, “I don’t think he has the kind of temperament that reflects Iowa values.”
He added, “I listen to both sides. I think that’s what we need in a congressional leader. And I don’t think that’s what we’re getting with Steve King. You’re not going to get any sort of bipartisanship with Mr. King. You can certainly look at his record and see that.”
One way to help the 5th District economy, Campbell said, is to go after federal stimulus dollars for projects in western Iowa.
“I don’t see Mr. King doing that on different projects,” he contends.
“I want to champion bringing our share of fiscal stimulus dollars back, and also to have some of those fiscal stimulus dollars put into construction of high-tech manufacturing plants. We’d have immediate jobs from construction of the plants, and then we’d have jobs following when those plants are in operation.”
Iowa has the potential to play a bigger role in energy production, including wind energy and biomass, said Campbell.
A utility, MidAmerican Energy, has stepped up and done much wind-energy development, he noted.
“A lot of communities need more of a champion to evaluate whether wind energy makes sense for them,” he said.
“I would want to have a liaison in a congressional office based out of Sioux City or Council Bluffs focus on renewable energy and team with communities to run the numbers and see whether that makes sense for a local community.”
He added, “I think with a bit more of a push there it may be a positive thing. We may keep a little more of our energy collars in our local community.”
Campbell favors support of biomass projects such as Poet’s cellulosic-ethanol plant in Emmetsburg.
Campbell said such projects are “going to give our farmers more of a revenue stream they currently don’t have.”
“It would be great for our national security,” Campbell said of expanding energy production. “If we’re less reliant on foreign oil, it makes our country more stable. Why not stabilize our energy security and at the same time improve our economy?”
Campbell said he also wants to have a liaison who would focus entirely on economic development and work with local communities.
He proposes starting an Iowa list of the 50 fastest-growing high-tech businesses in the state so new high-school and community-college graduates will know where to go to look for good jobs.
“And businesses are going to want to be on that list,” Campbell said, “because they’re going to want to sort the best talent coming out of our schools, and it also will be easier for them to attract financing because they will be recognized in the state as being a high-growth industry.”
On other issues, Campbell said he supports a proposed U.S. Treasury program to target tax evasion by the super-rich, and added he’s outraged that King opposes that effort.
“I think if there’s tax evasion at any level, whether it’s poor or rich, that the government needs to go after it,” Campbell said.
Responding to an observation about the need for tax support for government services, Campbell responded, “There are certain things people want. We want our roads to be cleared, and we want it done on a timely basis. There are some things government can do more efficiently than the private sector.
“King likes to throw around these comments of socialism and anti-capitalism frequently. I feel like the next thing we’re going to hear is about the socialist fire department in our town. People need to realize there is a role for government to have.”
For instance, he said oversight failures and the easing of government regulations deserve much blame for the country’s financial trouble.
He added, “A Republican administration led us into a lot of the mess we’re in. … A lot of what was inherited was a bad hand that would have been tough for any administration.”
Asked about the tea-party movement, Campbell said he sees people’s frustration with government bureaucracy and lack of responsiveness as well as people’s feeling of powerlessness.
“I’m getting in the race because I’m frustrated as well,” he said, adding, “I want to represent regular working-class families like my own family and families of my relatives who live in this district.
“… I think we need to get back to a civility in our country to move things forward rather than the sniping we’ve been seeing in the national media. It’s really important for democracy and progress that we bring all the best ideas to the forefront and work collectively to move the country forward.”
Campbell said he strongly supports the new health-care law.
“I think there are a lot of good things in the bill that are going to help keep premiums down,” he commented.
He said, “I want to make sure that the bill moving forward does not raise taxes. If it raises taxes at all, I would want to modify the bill to preclude that.”
Noting that the bill will help people with pre-existing medical conditions get insurance coverage, he said, “It’s giving folks an avenue to where they can buy insurance. It’s not a giveaway to those folks, as some people seem to think.”
Although King has won election by wide margins in the 5th District, Campbell said, “Possibly Democrats have not put up strong enough candidates.” King defeated Rob Hubler in the 2008 election by 60 to 37 percent.
After the 9-11 terrorist attack and the ensuing military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Campbell said, the Republicans likely had an advantage. Although, he added, “I myself was more supportive of those actions in Iraq and Afghanistan than other counterparts in the Democratic Party.”
“I think things are more normalized now and people are taking a harder look at some of the comments (King) makes,” Campbell said.
He added, “I think a lot of the progress we’ve had in the western part of the state has been in spite of Steve King, not in any way because of Steve King. You look at his record, and he’s not gotten anything through, and some of the polarizing statements he makes trouble a lot of people.”
Campbell, 39, is the fifth generation of his family to have lived on a century farm established 4½ miles south of Manning, in Audubon County. He graduated in 1989 from Manning High School, where he was an all-state football player and also participated in speech, drama, band and swing choir. He graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City in 1993 with a B.A. double major in political science and economics. He graduated from the University of Iowa college of law in 2001, then from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where he obtained a master’s of law in taxation.
He’s had over 10 years of experience providing international tax services, representing Fortune 500 companies on tax issues, primarily in mergers and acquisitions. He recently served as the south regional lead for international tax for BKD, LLP, the nation’s 10th largest accounting and auditing firm based in Houston, Texas.
His father, Harry, is a processor at American Protein Corp. in Denison, and his mother, Dianne, has been a secretary at Manning schools for 31 years. Harry and Dianne both live on the family farm, which is now operated by a son-in-law.
Campbell will attend the Democrats’ 5th District convention on Saturday, April 24, and a Manning bonfire and grill potluck at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 25, at Pinesong Farm.
