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<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Communities We Deserve. The State We're Owed.</h2><span class="image image-framed image-left image-tilt-left" style="width: 40%;"><span class="image-inner-wrapper"><img src="https://run.imgix.net/87914f8c-b13d-4a34-a8c9-6800750b22b4/65b95a15-dd3f-470b-b3f7-fc39c405bd90/65b95a15-dd3f-470b-b3f7-fc39c405bd90.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=306%2C66%2C622%2C1168&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"></span><span class="caption" style="display: none;"></span></span><h4><span style="color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary);">The Iowa my kids have now is not the Iowa we had.</span></h4><p><span style="color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary);"><strong style="color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary);">Like many Iowans our age, we look around today and think, "What happened here?"</strong></span> What happened to that Iowa that excelled and thrived, and had people moving to it instead of moving away? What happened to the Iowa that welcomed, and innovated, and prized our liberties while expanding our rights? That Iowa still exists. It's here. But the people we've put in charge are doing their best to snuff it out.</p><p>We gave ourselves over to 'leaders' who fear progress...who fear a future they can't understand and won't control. They're angry that the world is growing without their permission. And they have for 10 years now fought tooth and nail to drag us into the past so they can feel safe again...even if it costs Iowa and Iowans everything.</p><p><span style="color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary);"><strong style="color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary);">This isn't right. It's not acceptable for elected officials to use their office and power to control and contain Iowans just so that a powerful minority can feel better. </strong></span>And the costs of those actions are more than we—or our kids!— can afford to pay. The neighborhood schools we enjoyed...they don't exist anymore because we can't pay for them. Why? Because legislators in Des Moines refuse to properly fund education at a rate that keeps up with inflation, sending local school districts scrambling to cut costs. The parks and pools we had...closed or closing. Why? Because the Iowa legislature hasn't passed a balanced budget in God knows how long; and they make up for their deficit by taking money from our cities and counties, who then have to cut services and amenities they can no longer afford. The local markets we used to frequent...they're fewer and fewer because the policies out of Des Moines incentivize out-of-state big box retailers who are not invested in the growth of our home. They take their profits—which would be staying in our communities if they were locally owned—out of state, leaving our communities poorer, and less self-sufficient—hollowing out our pockets and our neighborhoods.</p><p>But the ball doesn't stop rolling here. Healthcare, eldercare, accessibility, water quality, streets and bridges, childcare—the list goes on and on!—all of it is tied to the policies coming out of Des Moines, written by the people who are supposed to have our best interests in mind.</p><p>We deserve better. We are owed better from the people who are meant to represent us and our communities. We should be getting more than stupid 'solutions' to bullshit culture wars. We should be getting solutions that improve the health of our bodies, the health of our bank accounts, the health of our communities, and the health of our families.</p>

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<p><strong>It's no secret that, for the past decade, Iowa's legislature has been laser-focused on restricting Iowans rather than supporting them.</strong> Our priority of <strong>forward progress</strong> focuses on meeting the real needs of Iowans and our communities—improving affordability, quality of life, and the pride, strength, and resiliency of our communities we call home.</p>

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<h4>Restoring Affordability</h4>

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<h3>What does forward progress for us look like?</h3><p>These are some of the <strong>top priorities</strong> our campaign is focused on.</p><p>Learn more about our priorities on the <a href="/fb188814-ed65-4b80-a376-4b94b4861b86">issues</a> page.</p>

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<h3>Fighting FOR US</h3><p>So, that's why I'm in this fight. I know what we've been, and I know what we can be again. <strong>But it's going to take us taking our power back from the people we've elected, who have no intention of using that power to actually improve our lives. </strong>We must elect people who move towards<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Forward Progress. For Us.</strong></p><p>My priorities for this work are listed here, and you can find more information in the <a href="/fb188814-ed65-4b80-a376-4b94b4861b86">issues</a> section.</p>

<p><span style="color: var(--color-bg0-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-bg0-text);"><strong style="color: var(--color-bg0-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-bg0-text);">The change starts here</strong></span></p>

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<p><strong>For too long, we've let ourselves be governed by people who are more interested in controlling us than they are in actually improving our lives. </strong>And the consequences for Iowa have been devastating.</p><p>They've starved our schools, poisoned our water, robbed our communities, looted our land, forced Des Moines' will on our bodies, the list goes on...</p><p>And what did we get for it? We didn't get any healthier. Our kids didn't get any smarter. Nothing got any cheaper...or easier...or better. And families left the state in record numbers.</p><p>But the good news is the power these people used over us is actually ours, and we can wake up and take it back at any time.</p><p>We start by electing people who prioritize <strong>Forward Progress. For us.</strong></p>

<h2 style="text-align: center;">A Son of Sioux City</h2><span class="image image-framed image-left image-tilt-left" style="width: 25%;"><span class="image-inner-wrapper"><img src="https://run.imgix.net/87914f8c-b13d-4a34-a8c9-6800750b22b4/bbc7caad-975a-4f8b-9499-a6f4a98d3b79/bbc7caad-975a-4f8b-9499-a6f4a98d3b79.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1307%2C1865&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="25" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"></span><span class="caption" style="display: none;"></span></span><h4>I was born here. Raised here. And educated here on the Westside of Sioux City.</h4><p><strong>I grew up on the Westside </strong>in the days of neighborhood schools you could walk to (RIP Smith!), local markets every few blocks you could sneak away to, and more pools and parks than a kid knew what to do with.</p><p>I went to the old West Middle and then West High, where I graduated as a State Champion hurdler. I attended the University of Iowa and then Buena Vista University, where I was a three-time NCAA All-American Hurdler and graduated with a degree in English-Language Arts Education.</p><p>Then, I returned to Sioux City, my home, to start my adult life. I got a job at North High teaching English, and I met my wife, Mary, while we were both coaching the dance teams there. We won multiple state titles—and even a national title!—coached several athletes to qualify for the state track and field championships, and led the award-winning Mass Communications program at North High. But I stepped away from all of that when it was time to start a family. Eleven years in, and we have four wild kids. And when I look at their childhood here, I can't help but notice how distinctly different it is from the one we enjoyed...and not for the better.</p><p></p>

<p><strong>House District 1</strong> is a district of the Iowa State House of Representatives. The district includes Riverside, the Westside, much of the city's Central Corridor, and the southern-most part of the Northside. A map of the district can be found <a href="https://elections.woodburycountyiowa.gov/files/maps/iowa_house_district_1_82691.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p>Like all Iowans, citizens of the district are entitled to representation in the state house, so our voices can be heard when laws are made and policy is set. Since 2023, we've been well-represented by J.D. Scholten; however, earlier this year, Scholten announced he would not be seeking reelection.</p><p>Special Interest Groups are eyeing this vacant seat because if they can get one of their preferred candidates elected here, it will give them more power in Des Moines to enact their agenda statewide.</p><p>This is a play of theirs we've seen run across Iowa time and time again over the past several years, with devastating results to our schools, communities, health, and economic development. Because these people do not care about us. They care about profits—no matter the cost to us—and they care about creating an Iowa where anyone outside of their very narrow definition of "normal" can be legally steamrolled by the state.</p><p>But people across Iowa are waking up to just how devastating this type of politics has been. In 2025, <a href="https://dreyforiowa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catelin Drey</a> flipped Iowa SENATE District 1 (which contains Iowa HOUSE district 1), providing a huge victory for our community and all Iowans.</p><p>Still, we know that politicians—and their big money backers—concerned with profits and control will try to take this seat to increase their power. But we're not going to let them...because we're going to elect one of our own: <strong>Shawn Olorundami.</strong> A leader in our city, born and raised in this district, and now raising his own children here. And who stands</p><p> <span style="color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text-accent-secondary);"><strong>For Progress. For Us.</strong></span></p>

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<p>We've all seen the headlines; <strong>Iowa has the fastest rising cancer rate in the country, and every other week another hospital or clinic closes...</strong>which is a real problem for the Iowans who can actually still afford healthcare. We should have regulations with teeth and severe consequences, so there are meaningful deterrents for industries that would poison our water, soil, and air; We must de-privatize and expand Medicaid to cover more Iowans; and we must deliver action on cancer-causing radon gas by providing Iowans with tax credits for the detection and mitigation of the deadly gas.</p>

<h2>Protecting Health</h2>

<p>SIOUX CITY, IA – March 11, 2026</p><p>Democrat Shawn Olorundami has announced his candidacy for State House District 1, the seat from which Representative J.D. Scholten has announced his retirement. Olorundami is a 40-year-old Sioux City native who was a state championship hurdler for Sioux City West, from which he graduated in 2004. He attended Buena Vista University in Storm Lake where he was a three-time NCAA All-American in Track and Field and earned a bachelor’s degree in English Education.&nbsp;</p><p>Olorundami has taught English at Sioux City North High since 2010, and in the past has coached and sponsored a number of activities including track, cross country, the multiple-state-championship-winning boys dance team, and award-winning Mass Communications program.</p><p>Olorundami is a member of the Sioux City Education Association (SCEA) where he has been a member of the union’s bargaining team. He is also on the English Language Arts Curriculum team. Outside of work, Olorundami is a member of his church council and an appointee on the Sioux City Active Transportation Advisory Committee.</p><p>Olorundami’s wife, Mary, is also a teacher for Sioux City Schools at Bryant Elementary, and the couple has four children.</p><p>Said Olorundami, “I am running because I—like many Iowans—am sick of watching Iowans’ hard-won freedoms, progress, and rights be shredded at the hands of a legislature and governor who seem to care a lot more about the wealthy than they ever did about the working; who are very interested in serving out-of-state money and special interests groups, but couldn’t care less about serving Iowans; and who love to seek control but have never given a second thought to pursuing progress.”&nbsp;</p><p>“I’m also running,” continued Olorundami, “because I have had enough. We sit here today with failing schools, record-breaking cancer rates, the literal worst economy in the nation, and we are dejected. Every other day we see a new piece of legislation further restricting our liberties and rights and hamstringing our local governments.&nbsp; But we remember when fought for people’s rights, we remember when our schools were the top in the nation, we remember when we were envied for our quality of life, we remember when we had the fastest growing economy in the nation, and we remember what it felt like when we innovated, excelled, and thrived in an Iowa where we fought For Progress, For Us.”</p><p>Voters have the opportunity to meet Olorundami at Winnies (1004 4th Street) on Tuesday March17th following the St. Partrick’s Day Parade.</p>

<p><strong>Democrat Shawn Olorundami has announced his candidacy for State House District 1, </strong>the seat from which Representative J.D. Scholten has announced his retirement. Olorundami is a 40-year-old Sioux City native who was a state championship hurdler for Sioux City West, from which he graduated in 2004. He attended Buena Vista University in Storm Lake where he was a three-time NCAA All-American in Track and Field and earned a bachelor’s degree in English Education.&nbsp;</p>

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<h4>Democrat Shawn Olorundami Announces Candidacy for State House District 1</h4>

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<p><strong>Iowa was once first in the nation in education. Not anymore. </strong>Iowa now falls somewhere in the middle of the pack and drops lower every year. We need to fully fund education, and then index the annual funding increase to inflation so it's no longer a political football. We need to pass the Educator Bill of Rights. We need major reform to the misguided Education Savings Accounts (vouchers) to ensure public accountability and fiscal responsibility of The People's money.</p>

<h2>Resurrecting Education<br></h2>

<p>Iowa was once renowned not only for its beauty but also for its affordability...a place where you could raise a family comfortably and retire with dignity. <strong>Now, Retirees wonder if they will be able to keep their homes. Young families struggle to make the math of having kids work. </strong>And the rich are richer than ever. We need income-based property tax relief for seniors, much larger tax credits for working-class families (and a host of other support detailed in other sections on this page), and we need to reverse the horrific tax breaks for the rich, which are decimating Iowa's budget.</p>

<h2>Restoring Affordability</h2>

<p><strong>Over the past decade, Iowa's workers have seen their protections shredded</strong>, and for many working-class families like my own, you work just to pay the bills, and there isn't much left after that. To get us back on the right track, we must restore and strengthen Iowa's unions and collective bargaining rights. We must update minimum wage requirements. We must ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully participate in the workforce without being penalized.</p>

<h2>Empowering Workers</h2>

<p><strong>We are only as strong as the communities we live in</strong>, so it's vitally important that policies coming out of Des Moines work to strengthen those communities. To this end, it's vital that we stop the state from stealing our counties' revenue to make up for state budgeting shortfalls. Additionally, we must limit state government in local affairs, ensure eminent domain cannot be used for private entities, and penalize large companies and corporations when their low wages force their employees to collect welfare funded by Iowa taxpayers.</p>

<h2>Conserving Communities</h2>

<p>Raising a young family is hard—and it's even harder if you live in Iowa because we lag behind other states in the resources and opportunities we provide. My priorities in combating this include <strong>Paid Parental Leave</strong>, expanding the <strong>HAWKi Program (Medicaid) </strong>for <strong>All Iowa's Children,</strong> and providing Iowa's families with <strong>Childcare Assistance </strong>as well as<strong> Universal Pre-K.</strong></p>

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<p>A forum to discuss the clean water crisis in Iowa.</p>

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<h4>How History Informs Citizenship in Troubled Times</h4>

<p>Join local candidates and me at the <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/mTuGox3pEjmTcfD8A" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Betty Strong Encounter Center</a> from 1:00 to 3:00 for a musical tribute to American patriotism, an afternoon of songs that rekindle the spirit of democracy and solidarity, featuring songs by Woodie Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, Neil Young, John Prine and more.&nbsp;</p>

 How History Informs Citizenship in Troubled Times

<p>(SIOUX CITY) March 9, 2026–On Tuesday, March 17, the Woodbury County Democratic Party (“WCDP”) will present voters with an opportunity to meet candidates who are running to represent voters in a variety of offices across the county in 2026. Candidates will walk Sioux City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade route, then be available at Winnie’s immediately afterwards to introduce themselves, listen to voters’ concerns and provide information about their campaigns.</p><p> </p><p>Among the candidates (offices) so far confirmed to participate in this Parade of Quality&nbsp;Candidates are:</p><p>Dave Dawson (U.S. House District 4)</p><p>Shawn Olorundami (Iowa House District 1)</p><p>Kenny Kroll (Iowa House District 1)</p><p>Jess Lopez Walker (Iowa House District 2)</p><p>Ben Mulford (Woodbury County Attorney)</p><p>Stephanie Steiner (U.S. House District 4)</p><p>Ashley WolfTornabane (U.S. House District 4)</p><p>“The Democratic slate of candidates offers voters a marked departure from the status quo in Woodbury County,” said WCDP Chair Ryan Akerberg. “We are confident of their integrity and know firsthand their commitment to improving the quality of life in Woodbury County in a variety of ways. We invite voters of all stripes to come and meet them. We know you’ll be as impressed as we are.”</p><p>The St. Patrick’s Day parade commences at 600 p.m. at 4th and Iowa Streets in Sioux City. The Democratic candidates will gather immediately at the conclusion of the parade at Winnie’s at <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/r42vgJhdrGtwr9hS6">1004 4th Street </a>and will be available until 8:00 p.m.</p><p><strong>ABOUT WCDP</strong></p><p>The Woodbury County Democratic Party works to recruit, elect and support Democratic candidates to political offices at every level of government. We aim to build a brighter future for our citizens and communities by promoting the democratic principles of liberty, justice and equal opportunity.</p>

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<h4>Meet and Greet at Winnies</h4>

<p>I'll be there, will you?</p><p>On Tuesday, March 17, the Woodbury County Democratic Party (“WCDP”) will present voters with an opportunity to meet candidates who are running to represent voters in a variety of offices across the county in 2026. Candidates will walk Sioux City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade route, then be available at Winnie’s immediately afterwards to introduce themselves, listen to voters’ concerns and provide information about their campaigns.</p><p>“The Democratic slate of candidates offers voters a marked departure from the status quo in Woodbury County,” said WCDP Chair Ryan Akerberg. “We are confident of their integrity and know firsthand their commitment to improving the quality of life in Woodbury County in a variety of ways. We invite voters of all stripes to come and meet them. We know you’ll be as impressed as we are.”</p><p>The St. Patrick’s Day parade commences at 600 p.m. at 4th and Iowa Streets in Sioux City. The Democratic candidates will gather immediately at the conclusion of the parade at Winnie’s at <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/r42vgJhdrGtwr9hS6">1004 4th Street </a>and will be available until 8:00 p.m.</p>

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Democrat Shawn Olorundami Announces Candidacy for State House District 1