|
Our Opinion: Hinson’s strong first term gives slight edge over Mathis
In her two years in Congress, with Democrats in control, Hinson still managed to be an effective legislator. She serves on the House Budget Committee and was one of two House freshmen appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, a weighty role that will be beneficial to eastern Iowans. She introduced 27 bills and co-sponsored more than 300, about half of which were bipartisan. She was her party’s lead on the bipartisan Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act, which was signed into law last year. She co-sponsored the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021, which also became law.
Local officials give Hinson big props for her work to reverse a proposed change by the Office of Management and Budget that threatened Dubuque’s status as a metropolitan statistical area, which would have been highly detrimental to Dubuque in attaining federal funding. Meanwhile, Hinson continues to work on solutions to address the lack of commercial air service to Dubuque, serving as a conduit between the airlines and local leaders.
Over her first term, Hinson has met regularly with constituents around the district and holds weekly calls with reporters, making her far more accessible than most federal representatives the TH has worked with in recent years.
—
Mathis has much to say about her opponent, none of it good, which feels a bit out of sync with her “Iowa nice” personality. She views Hinson’s efforts to retain air service in Dubuque as falling short, suggesting more political clout could have had an impact and questioning whether the pilot shortage was really a significant factor, a perspective that seems ill-informed.
—
For voters in the middle, Hinson has built some credibility in her first term, and Iowans would do well to see that play out.
###
|
