Name: Steve Bradley
Occupation: Dentist
District: Iowa House District 58
Education: Graduated from Western Dubuque High School, attended Loras College, and the University of Dubuque, Graduated from the University of Iowa. Received Dental Degree from Marquette School of Dentistry, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Why did you decide to run for office:
I have been a small business owner and dentist for 35 years. As a private practice owner, I understand the importance of managing finances and wanting my tax dollars spent responsibly. In Des Moines, I will make it a priority to budget conservatively and leave as much money as possible in pockets of hard-working Iowans.
What do you hope to accomplish?
Iowa thrives under Republican leadership. Our fiscally conservative policies keep our economy growing. Liberal policies mean more spending, more taxes, more regulations, and more government involvement in our businesses and lives. I was raised with common sense, conservative Iowa values, represented my profession with those values, and will continue to represent all Iowans with these values.
What do you want the voters to know?
I have been heavily involved in organized dentistry over my 35-year career. I started at the district level and worked my way up to the President of the Iowa Dental Association. As President, I represented our state at the national level protecting the interests of Iowa dentists. Following my tenure with the Iowa Dental Association, I was appointed, as a Republican, to the Iowa Dental Board by then-Governor Chet Culver. I was subsequently reappointed for two more terms by Governor Terry Branstad. I served as chairman of the Board of Dental Examiners for six years. As Chairman, it was my duty to oversee dentists in the State of Iowa and work with Legislators to pass laws that protect the health and safety of private citizens while squashing bills that were not in the best interest of citizens of Iowa.
IFR Notes:
Iowa House District 58 is located in Eastern Iowa. It includes all of Jackson Co, plus more than half of Jones county, and a little bit of Dubuque co. Jackson, Jones, and Dubuque Counties all voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 but swung to Trump in 2016. Looking at just Jackson and Jones:
The seat is currently held by former Republican, turned Democrat. McKean announced on April 23, 2019, that he would change his party affiliation, citing Trump’s conduct as his primary motivation. Any was, for a time, the longest-serving Republican in the legislature. His name recognition and long-established personal relationships in the district will be something Bradley will need to do a good job navigating in the campaign.
Bradley has never run for office before but has an excellent biography and strong ties to the area. As noted above, this district has changed significantly since McKean was first elected. It will be interesting to see if the Democrats invest much money in a district that Joni Ernst won by 9%, Trump by 20.80%, and Governor Reynolds won it by 15%.
