RJ Miller

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

RJ Miller

Independent

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 7, 2023

Personal

Birthplace

Minneapolis, Minn.

Religion

Spiritual

Profession

Executive director

Contact

Campaign Facebook

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RJ Miller ran in a special election to the Des Moines City Council to represent Ward I in Iowa. He lost in the special general election on November 7, 2023.

Elections

2023

See also: City elections in Des Moines, Iowa (2023)

General election

Special general election for Des Moines City Council Ward I

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Des Moines City Council Ward I on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Chris Coleman (Nonpartisan)	42.3	3,539
		Rob X. Barron (Nonpartisan)	32.8	2,743
	Submit photo	Kathy Hellstern (Nonpartisan)	7.1	598
		RJ Miller (Nonpartisan)	6.9	576
	Submit photo	Kimberley Strope-Boggus (Nonpartisan)	4.3	361
	Submit photo	Rose Marie Smith (Nonpartisan)	4.2	353
	Submit photo	Dennis McCullough (Nonpartisan)	2.0	169
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	31

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,370
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Miller received the following endorsements.

• State Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines (D)

2022

See also: Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Iowa House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Ako Abdul-Samad defeated RJ Miller in the general election for Iowa House of Representatives District 34 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ako Abdul-Samad (D)	83.9	5,985
		RJ Miller (Independent)	15.3	1,088
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	58

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,131
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Ako Abdul-Samad advanced from the Democratic primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 34 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ako Abdul-Samad	99.5	2,280
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	11

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,291
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

RJ Miller did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

RJ Miller completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Miller's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Community activist youth advocate

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Save our youth
• Empower Public Education
• create more mental health resources

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education Mental Health Restorative Justice

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

mandela

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

honesty genuine love for the people

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Leadership passion love and loyalty to the people humbleness bravery

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

to represent the issues of the people and to fight for a better district and state

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would love to create policy within the urban community to transform the conditions

What is your favorite book? Why?

1619 project because it highlights the systemic issues within the Black community

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Black Panther

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

kirk franklin imagine me

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

being able to work together for the greater good of the state

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

addressing systemic issues

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

a state legislator should have experience in activism or advocacy

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

yes it provides the opportunity to learn from each others experience and work on bipartisan policy

What process do you favor for redistricting?

if the district expands and the mapping is going to be fair then I support it

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

education mental health

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Willie Stevenson, Glanton

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

maybe

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

yes

Tell us your favorite joke.

don't have one

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

yes

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

compromise in terms of working together but never to against what's right

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2023 Elections

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Government

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Candidate

Des Moines City Council Ward I

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