We are thoroughly disappointed…

We see elections as an opportunity to build our people power and engage with candidates about the issues we care about. As part of that work, we often send candidates questionnaires and invite them to screening meetings. It’s a way for us to communicate to you – the voters! – about where they stand on the issues important to us.

On January 26th, we sent Mike Simonson, at-large candidate for the Des Moines City Council Special Election, a questionnaire. Though we gave him several opportunities to respond throughout February, he declined. Despite this, we invited him to a screening meeting to see where he’s at on our issues and give voters in Des Moines a chance to hear from him directly.

After he didn’t respond to our request for a meeting, one of our organizers approached him at a forum on February 26th and asked if he would meet with us. He agreed! We set the date for March 14th at 6:00PM and confirmed that with him. On February 28th, he got in touch to let us know he had a conflict and asked for an earlier time. We obliged, set it for 5:00, and he confirmed – in fact he said, “Perfect.”

On March 7th, Mike reached out to let us know he would not be participating in our screening meeting after all.

We are thoroughly disappointed by this. We deserve candidates and elected officials who are interested in talking to everyday people like us. If he is not willing to make the time to meet with us before the election, how is he going to represent us after? If he won’t work to get our votes, how do we know he’ll work for our issues? We deserve politics done differently.

The Special Election is Tuesday, March 19th. Make sure you vote!

For a different kind of politics,

Cherie Mortice, she/her
CCI Action Fund Board President

P.S. First Unitarian Church (1800 Bell Ave) will be holding what could be the final candidate forum before election day on Sunday, March 17 at 11am. If you haven’t decided who to vote for yet, please consider attending!