The Iowa Third Congressional District Democratic Party announced Thursday it will host the Reaching Rural Voters Forum Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Saints Center, 320 N. Fremont St. in Stuart.
The forum will be an opportunity for rural voters to raise issues that are uniquely important to rural communities and businesses, according to forum organizer Al Womble. The forum will feature visits from Presidential candidates Andrew Yang, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and on behalf of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Dr. Andy McGuire.
Other presidential candidates will have representatives at the forum, Womble said. John Norris, the former chief of staff to former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, and Patty Judge, former Iowa Lieutenant Governor and former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, will also participate in the event.
A centerpiece of the forum will feature a panel discussion with five rural leaders and spokespersons: Warren Varley of Stuart, Denise O’Brien of Atlantic, James Uhlenkamp of Mount Ayr, Ryan Marquardt of Van Meter and Chuck Larson of Sidney. Womble said the forum will strive to articulate the importance of rural outreach, discuss issues that are unique to rural communities and answer questions put to the panel by the audience.
The Reaching Rural Voters Forum is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Registration can be done in advance on the Reaching Rural Voters Forum Facebook page or on site beginning at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, April 27. The Saints Center is handicapped accessible, and food and beverages will be available.
The Saints Center alone is worth the visit if you have not seen it before. It was beautifully restored in 2005 after an arsonist gutted it in 1995.