By Mary Riche
DeJear has been endorsed by the Des Moines Register, however, her endorsement by influential Janel Tyler, a registered Republican from Des Moines and a group of Janel’s Republican friends, was even more impressive to me.
Janel’s passion for public education funding and reproductive rights match DeJear’s. And mine.
Tyler, with six other Republican and Democratic women as hosts, held a successful bipartisan fundraiser for DeJear on Aug. 8 here in Des Moines. DeJear’s speech electrified that large crowd as she does whenever she speaks to Iowans about this important race.
The bipartisan group that hosted the fundraiser for Deidre DeJear are, left to right, Mary Bernabe, Jackie Romp, DeJear, Janel Tyler, Becky Cady, Judy Quick, Pam Kenyon and Mary Riche.
Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and No Party people have continued to gather to support Deidre DeJear for Governor because she reflects their values and intends to serve all Iowans.
After our neighboring state of Kansas surprised the country with the decisive August vote in favor of abortion rights, I keep hearing the lyrics from Helen Reddy’s mid-70s anthem “I Am Woman” and wondering if Iowa women will turn out in record numbers and surprise the pundits here as well.
Janel’s introduction of candidate Deidre DeJear was so persuasive, I got her permission to publish it here:
By Janel Tyler
I am a registered Republican, and I am feeling angry and frustrated by what is happening in Iowa and across the country by the party that I used to support.
I feel alienated after the recent decisions by our own house, Senate and Governor, as well as the rulings by the US Supreme Court. I invited myself to coffee with Deidre. I wanted to hear what her issues were and if she was feeling what I and many of my friends were feeling. I decided that I needed to find my voice and make it heard as loud as the very vocal minority that was getting all the attention — and I do believe it is a minority. I found a thoughtful, intelligent woman with views more aligned with mine. I talked with my friend, Becky Cady, about hosting an event for Deidre, and when we asked our friends if they would help. They all said YES!
Tonight’s hosts are a collection of Republicans, Independents and Democrats, but we are all in support of some of the most important issues for women and children in Iowa in decades! Thank you, Mary Bernabe, Becky Cady, Pam Kenyon, Judy Quick, Mary Riche, Jackie Romp in your joint support of Deidre DeJear for Iowa’s next Governor.
With the current Governor pushing vouchers and taxpayer money for private schools and further depleting the already underfunded public schools, we need someone who wants to build up the public-school teachers and schools and not decimate them even further than COVID did!
I come from a family of public teachers. Small town Iowa is only as strong as their public schools are and let’s face it, most small towns don’t have private schools as an option. They are already underfunded, and the teachers overworked, and now our state government wants to take even more money from them as well as tell them what they can teach our children, how to teach, and even what books they can have in their libraries!
Deidre is also from a family of public-school educators, and her most important issue is building back up our public schools so we can again be No. 1 in the nation for public education, as they were decades ago.
Then came the US Supreme court ruling on Roe vs Wade that each state could make its own decision on reproductive rights for women. As a Planned Parenthood volunteer, I needed to fight back. As a young and poor college student, I felt lucky to have a Planned Parenthood in my college town! No, it wasn’t for an abortion, but if it was, it would have been nobody else’s business. I have a daughter and granddaughters, and I am horrified that their reproductive concerns are now being threatened to become issues of the state legislature!
Deidre’s decision to run is because of her love and concern for the people of Iowa. She is wanting to make a better place for Iowans to live and work. She is a supporter of small business and creating a stronger business climate in Iowa, and most importantly, is a political centrist, and I believe the majority of people in Iowa are moderates no matter what their party affiliation is.
There is no more important election this year in Iowa than the Governor’s race. We will need the support from frustrated and angry Republicans and Independents as well as the Democrats to win this race. We all need to find our voices!
That is why I am endorsing Deidre DeJear for Governor.
You can comment on this column by using the handy form below here, or you can write directly to the columnist by email at maryriche@gmail.com.
Thanks for publishing this, Mary, my married friend. I was fortunate to be able to attend this great event. It was a treat to read the intro. Thanks for your continued good works to inform and motivate us!
Artis Reis, Des Moines
I recently watched a documentary of Helen Reddy, which I highly recommend (Netflix). She became extremely popular with her song, “I am Woman.” The NOW movement adopted it as their song in try to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed. Do you know it never has? As a septuagenarian, a feminist in the ’60s, ’70s and for life, I find the present situation in America — (well, I am at a loss for words)– Frustrating? Appalling? Frightening? All we have fought for — and then — threatened to be taken away. Thank you, Mary, for posting this. May I share it?
Yes please share… and it’s time to roar. Again!
I so agree with you. I just don’t understand how anyone can support our current governor who has become nothing short of a tyrant. It is become either her way or the highway. And I completely agree about what she has done to our education system. That used to be something we could be proud of, but that is sadly no longer the case. Deidre definitely has my vote! Thank you for your work and your support for her.
Chris Galligan
Our current Governor’s agenda of taking public tax money and using it for private schools is WRONG!!! Private schools don’t have to meet the same requirements as public schools, don’t have to accept all students and have no oversight. Also, public schools have been underfunded the past decade. They need more money – not less. We need a governor that supports and promotes public schools!
I agree wholeheartedly that we need a change at the helm of our state government. I am impressed by Deidre’s focus on our schools and the communities that support them. Having clerked for 14 years for a state representative who is a retired teacher, I have been privy to much that has happened in the House Education Committee during that time. It has been appalling! And that is not counting what has been proposed but did not pass! The issues surrounding our kids’ education is more than enough reason to support DeJear for Governor. And that is just the beginning!
Bev Burns, Des Moines