Government : Iowa Senate District 42 Candidate Profile: Charlie McClintock

Before each election, we ask the candidates who have a challenger to submit a bit about themselves. This gives the readers a chance to read about each candidate and learn a little more about them.

Here's a few words from Charlie McCllintock.

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After the redistricting took place, Benton and Linn counties both found themselves without their current Senators. The newly formed District 42 included much of my current House District (95) and picked up most of Benton County. Being raised in Benton County and living in Linn, I was excited to have the opportunity to represent both areas in the legislature. I am an Iowan; I love this state and the people who live here. I do not want to see our values and our way of life change. I have a strong record of listening to the people in my district and representing them in the legislature. My voting record is a material reflection of my commitment to this policy. This is the essence of a good elected employee of the people. -What changes you'd like to see made concerning the office that you are running for and how you'd go about that I'm often described as a Moderate Republican, usually because of my support for public schools and labor. And, if people call that being moderate, I'll take that title. I've said before that we, as Republicans, should be reaching out to every voter, regardless of party, and explaining our platform. Moreover, we should be listening to everyone and their points of view- that's our job as elected officials.

I would like to see more of that in the legislature, and I intent to keep listening to every constituent and attend every event that my schedule allows, and not ask about party affiliation before agreeing to do so.

The top issues folks are discussing with me include:

The Economy. People are mostly concerned about the price of food and fuel. You can explain the "why" anyway you want, but the increase cost feels like a rip off to most people. They were paying a lower price for the same thing and now its double or triple. The "why" doesn't really matter now, only the "how" to fix it does. We, meaning the majority party in Iowa, are going to be responsible for bringing immediate short-term relief and long-term stability solutions to do that. That responsibility falls on us and we must take legislative action in the next session to meet that responsibility.

CO2 pipelines and Eminent Domain. I do not have a single answer for this right now. On one side, if EVERY landowner agreed to lease their property for the pipeline, for example, there would likely be no issue. In contrast, if EVERY landowner refused to lease their property, again, likely no issue. The difficult question arises when landing on the percentage between those two points that justifies the public good in completing such a project. Arguably, even if one landowner is forced into participating in the project through eminent domain, the issue is clearly a major concern and likely an unacceptable solution to that landowner. For now, we do not have these answers, and many of the answers may not be worked out for some time. Local authorities are still working through the issues and the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) has not weighed in on the matter. Litigation may also follow, and it could be some time before it ever reaches legislative intervention.

Charlie McClintock was born and raised in Iowa and has lived in Alburnett for 24 years where he has previously served as a councilman and mayor. He is currently an elected member of the Iowa House of Representatives, representing rural Linn County in District 95. He is currently seeking the Senate seat in District 42 (Benton & Linn Counties).

Charlie is married to his wife, Stacy and has two adult children. A daughter who is married and working in the medical profession, and a son, who is studying law and works for a local firm. His son is also an Infantry officer with the Iowa Army National Guard. The couple has two chihuahua kids, Pippa and Violet.

Charlie has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Business Administration from Liberty University. He retired from the Iowa Army National Guard as a Logistics Warrant Officer in 2009 after serving 21 years and currently serves as the 911 Manager for the Cedar Rapids Police Department, where he started as a police officer in 1994.