Matt Tapscott of Decorah announces candidacy for Iowa Senate District 28

Matt Tapscott of Decorah has announced that he is running for the Iowa State Senate. Tapscott is running in Senate District 28, which is comprised of all of Allamakee and Clayton counties and parts of Fayette and Winneshiek counties. That seat is currently occupied by Michael Breitbach of Strawberry Point and is up for election in November 2020.

“Northeast Iowa needs a leader in the Iowa Senate who will listen to people and advocate at the Iowa Capitol for positive rural changes,” Tapscott said. “People tell me that they are tired of the ‘I don’t need to listen to you’ attitude and divisive politics by our current legislators. I promise to listen to Iowans living in northeast Iowa and to care for Iowa’s future by investing now in our people and our communities.”

An Iowa native, Tapscott owns and operates Almost Home Early Learning - Naturally, an Iowa Department of Human Services regulated Child Development Home. He serves currently as President of the Iowa Family Child Care Association and is a regular presenter at Child Care conferences. He served three years in the U.S. Marines, serving as a weapons platoon sergeant in the Pacific Rim.

Tapscott and his wife, Denise, are parents/stepparents to three children. His wife is a Family and Community Specialist for the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation’s Early Childhood Programs. They are members of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah.

Tapscott currently serves on the Board for the Toys Go ’Round Toy Lending Library, which services families throughout northeast Iowa. He previously served on the Decorah Human Rights Commission, Decorah Public Library Board of Directors, and as Chair of the Winneshiek County Democratic Party. An outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys fishing, camping and bicycling.

“I want to use my experiences - as a small business owner, a community activist and as a Marine - to serve as an advocate for those living in northeast Iowa who are dealing with working family issues and deserve a strong ‘putting people first’ voice in our Legislature,” he said.
Tapscott pointed to several other key issues that inspired him to run, including:

• Adequately funding local public schools, especially those in rural areas and small towns, to return Iowa’s public schools to the place of national prominence they once were.
• Improve access to and affordable healthcare for all Iowans.
• Create a high-quality childcare and early learning system that meets the needs of children, working families and providers who deliver this critical need service.
• Helping small, diversified farmers get a healthy foothold in Iowa’s agricultural structure.
• Addressing climate change at the local and state level.

“The hardworking families of northeast Iowa deserve a Senator who will listen to all sides of an issue, bring all the parties together, and help solve real problems in a bipartisan manner at the Capitol,” he said. “I will be visiting every corner of the district to ‘listen-and-learn’ from as many voters as possible. I encourage anyone to contact me tapscottforiowasenate@gmail.com.”