Democratic hopeful Nate Boulton to make Newton visit Wednesday

Democratic hopeful Nate Boulton will be making his first visit to Newton this week. Boulton, a first year state senator who represents the east side of Des Moines and the community of Pleasant Hill said he hopes to connect with local voters and pitch them his plan to bring the Democratic party back to the governor’s mansion.

The campaign stop will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Jasper County Community Center, located at 2401 First Ave. E. in Newton.

Boulton’s platform includes increasing education spending, creating a state-wide minimum wage of $15 an hour and protecting Iowa’s natural resources. In a phone interview with the Newton Daily News, Boulton said he felt compelled to run for the governor’s office after participating in the state senate.

“Literally, having a front row seat in the state legislature, and seeing what’s happened in our state, I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer,” Boulton said. “We need to create a state that we can be proud of.”

At 36 Boulton would be the youngest governor in the history of the state if elected, and his age has played a role in his campaign planning. Boulton announced his candidacy via a video, and his website encourages voters to #runwithnate, a nod to the 36 marathons he’s run.

Many in the state, including Boulton, believe that the 2018 election will be an important benchmark for the Democratic party as it struggles to regain control in the state. Currently the legislature and the governor’s office are both under Republican leadership.

Boulton joins an ever-widening field of candidates for the governorship, including Republican Ron Corbett, the mayor of Cedar Rapids, who graduated from Newton High School in 1978. Despite plenty of competition Boulton says he’s got what it takes to separate himself from the rest of the pack. Despite his relative inexperience in the legislature, Boulton points to his record as an attorney in the last ten years, including a successful challenge of then governor Terry Branstad’s veto powers.

“We want to show that not only can we take on a lot of tough fights, but we want to get people excited about realizing Iowa’s potential and getting the state back on track in a responsible way,” Boulton said.

To Newton residents like Jerry Jones, that’s something he can get behind. Jones, who works at the Newton Correctional Facility, said Boulton has the right blend of experience to lead the state Democratic party back to prominence. After hearing Boulton speak while he was running for the state senate Jones knew that he wanted to get involved with the campaign.

“They’re all great candidates, but he just stood out to me,” Jones said. “I think he will really excite the voters.”

Jones brushed off criticisms about Boulton’s age and experience, saying that even though he’s in his 50’s he thinks it’s time the state looked to a “fresh face” for leadership.

“He’s very dynamic. He’s a big contrast to Branstad,” Jones said. “I hope people can see how genuine he is, he can be a consensus builder.”

Jones is hoping that the event will give Newton voters a chance to see some of the same things in Boulton that he’s seen. He’s been promoting the event on Facebook, and at meetings of the Jasper County Democrats, and he’s hoping residents will turn out in number to hear what Boulton has to say.

“I hope it’s a good turnout, but it isn’t going to be a thousand people,” Jones said. “Something like this, if you can get 25 people, you can start building momentum.”

Contact David Dolmage at ddolmage@newtondailynews.com