Republican Candidate Mark Hanson is running for Iowa Senator in District 14 in the upcoming election.

Hanson tells Raccoon Valley Radio that he grew up in Rosemont, Minnesota and he later met his wife in California. However, his wife grew up in Iowa, and was a graduate from Dallas Center-Grimes High School and went on to attend Iowa State University. The two decided to move back to Iowa for a better economic opportunity to raise their kids. Since being in Iowa, Hanson became the Vice President of the Membership for the Association of Business and Industry, he also served as an Executive Director for the Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and has been a Dallas County Supervisor since 2004. 

When it comes to mental health services, Hanson mentions that if he were elected, he doesn’t believe he’s in a position to suggest new bills. He points out that Dallas County currently provides the mental health services that the state of Iowa levies for, and offers them through regions. Hanson emphasizes that it’s important to make sure that the regions are properly organized to serve individuals that have the need.

“There’s no question that to keep communities safe, improved access to healthcare, mental and behavioral health services are necessary, and to step up that support for those that have that need. I think it’s important to just work with those providers that are in the mental health community, and make sure that they do have the consumers that need access to those services have a good way to enter into the system.”

Hanson shares his thoughts on arming teachers in the classrooms, concluding that he has reservations about doing so with teachers, but would support having school resource officers prepared in case of an emergency. Additional areas that Hanson is dedicated to working on include improving education, property taxes, and economic development. He claims that his main priority is assisting Iowa families to ensure that the state of Iowa continues to provide a promising future for the next generation.

Hanson details that he’s running for State Senator to be able to give back to Iowans by making a difference in their lives. He acknowledges that his experience as a Dallas County Supervisor gives him the advantage of growing up around many of the people he’ll potentially help. Hanson is running this year for Senate District 14 against Democrat Candidate Sarah Trone-Garriott. The November General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5th.