Clint Twedt-Ball, one of the four Democratic candidates for the U.S. District 2 seat, made campaign stops in Mount Vernon Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Twedt-Ball kicked off the morning meeting with a group at Fuel Art and Espresso, and concluded the evening with an event at Nate and Maggie Willems house in Mount Vernon.

Twedt-Ball served as a pastor in Iowa for a number of years, and started the non-profit organization Matthew 25 in 2006.

Twedt-Ball said that his stances are that public dollars for education should not be going to private schools, and that he believes many of the policies align with things that the Methodist Church has advocated in its history.

“The church was definitely one of those who supported the 40-hour work week,” Twedt-Ball said.

He also said that one of the things more people in the Democratic Party should be championing now is the importance of maintaining local control.

One of the biggest issues that was discussed at the morning session was the importance of rural health care, and how cuts at the federal level may be impacting access to hospitals and clinics when those are desperately needed.

“We’re talking about a state where our cancer rate is continually climbing and these cuts are going to reduce clinics or hospitals in the state,” Twedt-Ball said.

Twedt-Ball said that while the cancer rates increasing can’t just be attributed to one cause, losing access to health care for many will have a lasting impact.

“This isn’t just an Iowa issue, though,” Twedt-Ball said. “It’s something many states are encountering now, and we’re seeing fewer graduating from medical schools.”

Marti Hurst asked what Twedt-Ball is willing to do to address the amount of males leaving the Democratic party.

“The first and most important thing is making the effort to reach out to them, and that happens by meeting them where they are at more,” Twedt-Ball said. “That may mean meeting with them and talking about the issues they care about.”

Twedt-Ball said some of those issues are tied to housing and jobs.

And Twedt-Ball said he knows a little about the struggle and finding a purpose in life.

“I was one of those students who went to three different colleges in six years, with my first semester having a 1.9 GPA,” Twedt-Ball said. “I was 24 and totally lost before I finally started finding my purpose.”

Twedt-Ball said he is working to make more in-roads to unions and their importance.

“When we were doing work with Matthew 25, we didn’t do as much in keeping ties with the union as well,” Twedt-Ball said. “We’re trying to rebuild those.”

He also knows he isn’t alone in the field, with at least three others in the Democratic field at the moment and three in the Republican field running for the seat that will be open in 2026.

From Twedt-Ball’s website https://www.clintforiowa.com – Clint Twedt-Ball has deep roots in Iowa, where he learned about grit, service and being willing to dream from his big, loving family.

Born to a small-town pastor and stay-at-home mom, Clint and his family always did what they could to improve the towns where he grew up—whether it was building a new park, repairing homes for struggling families, or welcoming newcomers to the community. The commitment his parents instilled in him – to stand with those in need – became the foundation of his more than 20 years of service in Northeast Iowa.

Like all families, Clint’s faced its share of challenges, including addiction, mental health struggles, and housing instability. During those times, they relied on the same community support that they so often extended to others.

Building on that lifelong commitment to helping others, Clint graduated from the University of Iowa, then spent three years in seminary before returning home to Iowa to serve his community as a pastor.

Clint is running for Congress because our community needs a representative who listens to us, will work alongside us, and will work to use all the talents and resources of our state and nation to help everyone reach their God-given potential. Clint has done real work to help our neighbors and will bring the same values and work ethic to Washington.

Clint lives with his wife, Karla, in Cedar Rapids. Together, they have two adult children and enjoy camping, biking, and spending time outdoors.