Shawn Olorundami is a teacher and candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives in District 1.

When families make the difficult decision to move a loved one into an assisted-living facility, they place an extraordinary amount of trust in the people responsible for their care.

They trust that their parents and grandparents will be safe. That staff members will be properly trained. That medications will be administered correctly. And that if something goes wrong, someone will respond immediately.

What state inspectors uncovered at Lawton Senior Living in Woodbury County should concern every Iowa family.

Voters in Iowa Senate district 1 will elect a successor to Republican State Senator Rocky De Witt on Tuesday, August 26. Governor Kim Reynolds scheduled the special election after De Witt died of cancer last week.

Although Donald Trump comfortably carried Senate district 1 in the 2024 presidential election, this seat should be highly competitive in a low-turnout special election environment.

Following De Witt’s passing, Republicans hold 33 Iowa Senate seats, and Democrats hold 16 seats. The difference between a 34-16 majority and a 33-17 majority may seem inconsequential, but it would matter a great deal when the Senate considers the governor’s nominees during the 2026 legislative session. Flipping the seat would enable Democrats to block some of Reynolds’ most controversial appointments, who need a two-thirds majority vote to be confirmed.