Save the Children Action Network Proudly Endorses Bipartisan Slate of Candidates Committed to Early Childhood Education and Ending Child Hunger in Iowa 

“By prioritizing an end to childhood hunger and the expansion of early learning opportunities for children in Iowa, these candidates have earned our enthusiastic support.” 

For Immediate Release | Media Contact: Louisa Spofford (lspofford@savechildren.org) 

DES MOINES, IOWA (September 04, 2024) – Today, Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) – the leading political voice for kids – is pleased to announce its endorsements of candidates for the Iowa General Assembly and forthcoming in-state electoral activities in support of their campaigns. These candidates all share a passion for ensuring that children in Iowa have access to quality early childhood education and adequate nutrition. SCAN recognizes the critical importance of these issues to voters in the state and is proud to support these champions who are dedicated to advancing the well-being of children and families. 

SCAN endorses the following bipartisan slate of candidates for election or reelection in Iowa:  

• Senator Sarah Trone Garriott (D – IA Senate – District 14) 

• Matt Blake (D – IA Senate – District 22) 

• Representative Jon Dunwell (R – IA House – District 38) 

• Representative Tracy Ehlert (D – IA House – District 79) 
   

SCAN Executive Director Christy Gleason said: “Save the Children Action Network is proud to endorse a bipartisan slate of candidates in Iowa who understand the link between early childhood education, preventing childhood hunger, and a child’s lifelong success. Iowa voters recognize the urgency of ensuring children have access to quality, affordable child care and that they have enough nutritious food to eat. By prioritizing an end to childhood hunger and the expansion of early learning opportunities for children in Iowa, these candidates have earned our enthusiastic support. We look forward to seeing how they continue their work as champions for children and families in Iowa.” 

Save the Children Action Network will support the election of these candidates, who are committed to championing the expansion of access to early child care and child nutrition across the state, through paid advertising and a robust get-out-the-vote effort to turn out voters for these candidates. 

Background 

In Iowa, one in six children faces hunger, affecting their school performance, health and well-being. Expanding access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and school meal programs like Double Up Food Bucks and Summer EBT will help to ensure that children have enough to eat. In recent legislative sessions, state lawmakers have passed legislation that would harm quality in child care settings (HF 2198, approved in 2022) and reduce access to SNAP (SF 494, approved in 2023) – a stark reminder of why Iowa’s children and families need legislators who champion early learning and work to end child hunger.  

SCAN’s bipartisan slate of candidates are strong advocates for advancing early learning opportunities and preventing child hunger. These endorsements illustrate our commitment to shifting the dynamic in the Iowa legislature to build a strong bench of early learning and child hunger prevention champions. 

Senator Sarah Trone Garriott (D – IA Senate – District 14) 

• Senator Garriott sponsored legislation to expand the child tax credit. 

• Senator Garriott introduced a bill to improve access to quality, affordable child care and preschool and has sponsored several bills to make child care more affordable and accessible. 

• Senator Garriott has worked to expand Double Up Food Bucks and Summer EBT. 

Matt Blake (D – IA Senate – District 22) 

• Blake has a personal connection to child care through his own children and his father who owned child care centers in South Dakota. 

• One of Blake’s priorities, if elected, would be to improve education for children across Iowa, expand access to childhood education, and make sure students do not go hungry at school or during summer break ensure, per Des Moines Register. 

Representative Jon Dunwell (R – IA House – District 38) 

• Representative Dunwell is one of a handful of Republicans who voted against a bill to limit SNAP benefits in Iowa and a bill that would allow minors who work or volunteer at a child care facility to be unsupervised. 

• Representative Dunwell has demonstrated support for bringing more fresh fruit and vegetables to SNAP beneficiaries. 

Representative Tracy Ehlert (D – IA House – District 79) 

• Representative Ehlert is an award-winning early childhood educator. 

• Representative Ehlert has an educational background in business, child development and early childhood education. 

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Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) was created in 2014 as the political advocacy arm of Save the Children, to be the political voice for kids. We work to ensure that the issues critical to children’s lives and futures are given top priority by our elected leaders, building bipartisan support to make sure every child has a strong start in life. 

Learn more about SCAN here: https://savethechildrenactionnetwork.org. 

Paid for by Save the Children Action Network, 899 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 900, Washington D.C. 20002. Christy Gleason, Executive Director. Not authorized by a candidate, candidate’s committee, or ballot issue committee.