He announced earlier today that he is launching a campaign for Iowa State Senate District 37. The incumbant, Democratic Senator Bob Dvorsky, announced recently that he will not be running for re-election in 2018. Wahls plans to seek Dvorsky's seat, running on a campaign focused on healthcare, education, and workers' rights.
Here is his announcement from Twitter:
Remember that young man from Iowa who spoke to the Iowa legislature a few years ago about growing up with two moms? Hi. That was me — and today, I'm announcing my campaign to join the Iowa legislature. I hope you'll support our campaign. I am running for Iowa Senate District 37, which is my home. It is where I grew up, where I went to high school, where I got my first job, and where I started my first business. I'm running for a simple reason: our state is at a crossroads that will define the future of our state for generations to come...You can endorse Zach Wahls' campaign and contribute financially towards its success here.
No state in the country had a bigger swing from Obama in 2012 to Trump in 2016 than Iowa did. Iowa Republicans took over our state legislature and immediately began to dismantle our state's social foundation.
On health care: our state is experiencing a mental health crisis, and Iowa ranks dead last in the county — 51st! — in terms of public psychiatric beds per capita. Suicide rates are spiking in our rural communities, and Republicans are shutting down mental health facilities. Medicaid privatization has been a disaster that is costing our state hundreds of millions of dollars. It is hurting tens of thousands of people, including right here in our district.
On Education— instead of making college *more* affordable for Iowans, Republicans are going in exactly the opposite direction, slashing $55M from higher education. I was fortunate enough to graduate debt-free from the University of Iowa, for which I am incredibly grateful. We need *more* people graduating with *less* debt — Iowa Republicans are pushing the exact opposite. Further, Iowa Republicans dramatically restricted the growth of K12 spending which hurts both students and teachers. On *top* of that, Iowa GOP gutted collective bargaining for public employees, including public school teachers. We have to restore the growth in K12 spending, we have to protect everybody's right to form a union, and we have to recommit ourselves to building a strong social foundation for all Iowans.