Pete D’Alessandro is co-founder of Campaign in a Box, a national consulting firm that specializes in progressive and first-time candidates. He lives in Des Moines. While he is not currently working for a U.S. Senate candidate in Iowa, he previously did work for Nathan Sage.

I am not usually part of the opinion carousel in Democratic primaries—for a lot of reasons. But I’m making an exception because I heard from more people than I ever have, inquiring about what I would be doing on June 2 in the U.S. Senate primary. 

I start with a simple question: “What kind of candidate can rebuild trust with working people across this state?”

The simple answer is, not yet another Iowa Democrat cautiously depending on insider poll-tested talking points from Washington D.C. consultants and dark-money Independent Expenditure organizations influenced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. 

What we need is someone willing to fight plainly, directly, and unapologetically for ordinary people. Iowans who feel like the economy and political system has stopped working for them.

That’s why State Senator Zach Wahls earns my support for the United States Senate.

Pete D’Alessandro is co-founder of Campaign in a Box, a national consulting firm that specializes in progressive and first-time candidates. He lives in Des Moines and submitted this commentary prior to the Iowa Democratic Party’s State Central Committee meeting on January 28.

Two years ago, just after winning a seat on the Democratic National Committee, Jodi Clemens—who is one of the best grassroots organizers I have ever been around—ran for Iowa Democratic Party chair. Through the efforts of some longstanding establishment types, she was denied the position. I came to learn (off the record, of course) the winner’s positive qualities included not being “a Bernie person.” I think “Bernie person” is establishment code for not being “in the club.”

A full election cycle has passed, and we can now look at the results of that choice to bear hug the right-of-center, hide-under-your-desk establishment: total ballot box disaster.