Peggy Huppert is a retired nonprofit executive who has been active in Democratic politics as a volunteer for campaigns ranging from school board to President since 1984.

As Democrats in Iowa’s third Congressional district, we all share the same goal in 2026: defeating U.S. Representative Zach Nunn and flipping this seat so we can put a real check on the chaos in Washington. That’s why the independent Change Research poll, conducted in late October, should be a wake-up call and a roadmap.

That poll found State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott leads Zach Nunn 53 percent to 40 percent in a general election matchup. That’s not a moral victory or a tie. That’s a clear, solid lead against an incumbent in one of the most competitive districts in the country.

Even more important is who the poll finds is putting Sarah ahead.

Peggy Huppert retired in 2023 following a 43-year career with Iowa nonprofit organizations, including the American Cancer Society and NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) Iowa. She is a board member of LIFT Iowa and a long-time progressive political activist.

Jill Alesch is running for the Johnston School Board this fall, and her supporters couldn’t be prouder.

Jill is a truly special candidate. She has lived in Johnston for more than 10 years and has two children in Johnston schools—a son who is a senior in high school and a daughter in 7^th grade. Jill is running for the school board because she cares about the kind of schools her kids attend, but also the quality of education for all students into the future.

Jill was born and raised in Denison, where she attended both private (Catholic) and public schools. That gives her a unique perspective on the value and limitations of each system. On the topic of public funding for private schools she says:

Peggy Huppert retired in 2023 following a 43-year career with Iowa nonprofit organizations, including the American Cancer Society and NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) Iowa. She is a board member of LIFT Iowa and a long-time progressive political activist.

In September 2023, about 30 longtime Iowa Democrats came together on a Sunday morning to share their grief and anger about the political state of their world. Although they suspected things would get worse before they got better—they could not have predicted how very much worse—most are optimists by nature and, as such, desperately sought a path forward. And they found it.

In that room on that day, LIFT IOWA PAC was born.

Peggy Huppert retired in 2023 following a 43-year career with Iowa nonprofit organizations, including the American Cancer Society and NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) Iowa. She is also a long-time progressive political activist.

It does not surprise me, but disappoints me greatly, that the Iowa legislature is poised to adopt a policy requiring “able bodied” Medicaid recipients to work at least 80 hours a month in order to stay enrolled.

This is nothing new. Some Republicans tried to implement this in Iowa during Donald Trump’s first administration. As the head of NAMI Iowa, I successfully helped fight this legislation for four years before a reprieve during the Biden administration. Now, with an even larger majority in both the Iowa House and Senate, encouragement from our governor, and a green light from the new Trump administration, there is nothing holding the Republican majority back.

As a mental health advocate and family member of loved ones with serious mental illness, I would like to see the phrase “able bodied” (just like “It’s all in your head”) permanently retired from our lexicon.

Peggy Huppert retired as the executive director of NAMI Iowa in 2023 after 43 years serving nonprofits as a communications, development, government relations and executive director. She has been active in Democratic politics since 1984.

It is the task of a good man to help those in misfortune. -Sophocles

Dave Heaton was the definition of a Good Man.

He lived his life with honor and in service. He was loyal, hard working and dedicated. He was compassionate and empathetic. He followed through with things to the end. He didn’t care about praise or recognition. He cared about helping others.

Dave left this world on February 12 at the age of 84. He will be remembered and missed by many, including some you might not expect.

Peggy Huppert is the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Iowa. -promoted by desmoinesdem

Governor Kim Reynolds signed two mental health bills on March 29 in an emotional ceremony in the capitol rotunda. I was one of the hundreds of legislators, lobbyists and advocates who witnessed the event.

The two bills are quite different. What they have in common, in addition to dealing with mental health and being signed into law on the same day, is that they passed both chambers of the Iowa legislature unanimously. That in itself is extraordinary.