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Spirit Lake Man Running As Democrat For Iowa Senate District 1 Seat

November 22, 2021 Steve Schwaller

(Spirit Lake)– A Spirit Lake man has announced he’s running as a Democrat for the Iowa Senate District 1 seat. Mark Lemke tells KUOO news he decided to throw his hat into the ring after learning no other democrats in the area had expressed an interest…

“Well I was talking to some other Democrats and they were talking we didn’t have anybody running up here, which I thought was something we should remedy. I originally nominated somebody else but they renegged and I decided to step up and do it. I’m not a politician or a speaker. I’ve always been a working man and in business. I just feel like we need to represent the hard working people in the lower, middle class people a little better and get a little bit better balance in the state Senate.”

Lemke grew up in Armstrong and worked in retail for a number of years in Estherville before moving to Des Moines where he worked for RCA and General Electric. He then started his own business and moved back to northwest Iowa after retiring in 2016. He is a board member with the Monarch Cove Association.

When it comes to the issues, Lemke says he is in favor of increasing the state’s minimum wage…

“I read an article recently by an economist that said if the minimum wage had kept up with productivity compared to 1968’s buying power it would have to be over 22 bucks an hour now. I realize you can’t just do that with the hardship it would put on businesses, but we need to start inching it up and try to find a way to do that.”

Lemke says education, healthcare, clean air and clean water are other key issues for him.

Dave Rowley of Spirit Lake is running as a Republican in the December 14th special election to fill the vacancy created with the resignation of Zach Whiting of Spirit Lake.

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