Ryan Marquardt

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

Ryan Marquardt

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Graduate

Iowa State University, 2008

Personal

Birthplace

Ames, Iowa

Religion

Lutheran

Profession

Farmer/Small business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Ryan Marquardt (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Iowa House of Representatives to represent District 25. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Marquardt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ryan Marquardt was born in Ames, Iowa. Marquardt earned a B.S. in community and regional planning in December 2004 after studying at Iowa State University and Des Moines Area Community College. He also earned an M.S. in sustainable agriculture from Iowa State University in May 2008. His professional experience includes owning and running a small direct-market meat farm, working with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and working as the general manager of The Iowa Food Cooperative. Marquardt has served as the board chair of the Iowa Food Cooperative, as the vice chair of the Madison County Planning and Zoning Board, as a board member of the Greater Madison County Community Foundation, as a lifetime member and Savings Incentive Program judge of Practical Farmers of Iowa, as a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, as a board member of the Iowa Farmer's Union, and as vice chair of Madison County Democrats.

Elections

2020

See also: Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Iowa House of Representatives District 25

Incumbent Stan Gustafson defeated Ryan Marquardt in the general election for Iowa House of Representatives District 25 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stan Gustafson (R)	63.5	12,944
		Ryan Marquardt (D)	36.4	7,416
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	22

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,382
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 25

Ryan Marquardt defeated Caleb Short in the Democratic primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 25 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Marquardt	63.8	1,672
		Caleb Short	35.8	938
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	11

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,621
= 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.

Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 25

Incumbent Stan Gustafson advanced from the Republican primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 25 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stan Gustafson	99.3	2,759
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	20

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,779
= 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.

2018

See also: Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Iowa House of Representatives District 25

Incumbent Stan Gustafson defeated Ryan Marquardt in the general election for Iowa House of Representatives District 25 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stan Gustafson (R)	59.2	9,420
		Ryan Marquardt (D)	40.7	6,470
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	10

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,900
= 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 25

Ryan Marquardt advanced from the Democratic primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 25 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Marquardt	100.0	1,521

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,521
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 25

Incumbent Stan Gustafson advanced from the Republican primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 25 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stan Gustafson	100.0	1,060

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,060
= 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

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ryan Marquardt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Marquardt'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.

Ryan Marquardt is a fifth generation Madison County farmer, father of two young children, and a lifelong Iowan. Ryan has his undergraduate in Community and Regional Planning, a Masters in Agriculture, and a Certificate in Public Management from Iowa State University. Ryan has served as a Township Trustee, Church Council President, several nonprofit boards, and the Madison County Planning and Zoning Board. Ryan is active in Madison County and Norwalk Area Chambers of Commerce, and is an advocate for small farms, food systems, rural communities, and local control. Ryan ran for Iowa House District 25 in 2018 and is running again in 2020. To learn more about Ryan visit his website at Ryan4Iowa.com.

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?

• Supporting Iowa Families to grow Iowa. That means we look at expanding childcare options, creating universal pre-kindergarten, reversing declining funding for public education, and expanding access and affordability to healthcare.
• Grow Iowa's Economy by focusing on local. That means focusing on building a workforce in Iowa that attracts employers by investing in community colleges, trade apprenticeships, and higher education. Growing Iowa local means building up Iowa's infrastructure (roads, bridges, and broadband access), and allowing and encouraging our farmers and manufactures to innovate with new products or direct to customer sales.
• Local control & privacy are paramount. Outside of crisis situations where aggregation of actions would benefit the whole, decisions about local governance, economic development, and land use are best made close to the source where people have to live with those decisions. We have a fundamental and Constitutional right to privacy. That privacy extends into the digital domain, private medical decisions, and responsibility for personal items and actions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Ryan has experience and interest in policy regarding local food processing and distribution, agricultural systems and incentives, and differing approaches to economic development. Ryan is interested in public investments, which generate significant return on investment.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Harry S. Truman was a midwesterner that served in WWI, fought fraud and abuse in government contracts, helped to form NATO to pull the world back together after WWII, and pushed through the Marshall Plan despite a Republican legislature. He never grew wealthy from holding office, and yet he changed the world. My grandfather always told me that Truman was the greatest President, because he saved my grandfather's life. Truman made the decision to use atomic bombs on mainland Japan and force the Japanese surrender in WWII. My grandfather's unit was slated for the invasion for of Japan and he was certain he would not have survived if Truman didn't decide to use the atomic bombs. I believe a public servant should always strive to put working people first and that the rest will come from their success, like Truman. I believe public service is not a means to enrich oneself, instead it is a way to give back to a community you give back to, like Truman. I believe that big plans and goals are possible if you are persistent and willing to work with the opposition, like Truman. For all of these reasons Truman is my public service guiding star.

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

I have always loved "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert A. Heinlein. Three main takeaways are how a small dedicated group can change the world, the most important currency out there is one's own credibility, and finally " TANSTAAFL" or "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch."

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

I think that it is most important to listen to the people who send you to serve, that one's credibility is king, that I would rather serve one term and do the right thing than make a career of being a politician. It is important to work with any good idea, regardless of the side of the aisle it came from. I think it is important to admit when you are wrong and to not be afraid of it. Likewise, it is important to hand out praise and never hoard it.

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

I know Iowa, I was born and raised here and my family has farmed this land for 5 generations. I suit my mixed urban and rural district well with my background in city planning and agriculture. I can bridge the urban rural divide that presents challenges in both my district and the state of Iowa.

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

I believe a representative's primary job is to listen. Listen to constituents, civic groups, faith groups, and local government to figure out how state government can facilitate or get out of the way of local citizens. As a representative, your first loyalty is to the voters that elected you.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be remembered as fair, competent, and someone who cared deeply for their district. I think the legislature has farmers, but very few that work on a small scale. Someone who could open doors for small farms could really diversify agriculture in the state and help rural communities for years to come.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Reckoners Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The series is about how heroism is not about having supernatural powers, but is about doing the right thing for the right reason even when it seems impossible.

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

Wreck-it Ralph (he's my Spirit Animal)

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

When we wanted to work the family farm, my grandfather was not receptive and told us to go buy an acreage. He didn't take us seriously. So we bought 40 acres in Jasper county and started learning, having a lot of trials and failures in our 7 years on that farm. We stuck with it and showed my grandfather we were serious and purchased a small piece of the family land in 2013 to return to my roots in Madison County.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

Functionally, the Iowa House is the more fluid chamber. It reflects the interests and concerns of Iowans most acutely because its representatives are elected every two years. The Iowa Senate is a more contemplative and deliberative chamber largely as a function of four-year terms and fewer members. The Senate is a more stable chamber as well because of the staggered nature of its representative's elections.

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

For my entire lifetime--nearly 40 years--Iowa has faced one consistent challenge: declining rural comunities and concentrated prosperity in urban areas. This challenge is not going away, if anything it is accelerating. We need to do the hard working of investing in the physical infrastructure of rural communities (roads, bridges, and broadband), in supporting families (though affordable and accessible healthcare, child care, and education), and by diversifying our agricultural landscapes. We can do more than create another task force with a few million dollars, we can get serious about growing Iowa businesses, supporting Iowa families, and moving Iowa forward, with our rural communities leading the way.

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

You have to build relationships with your peers if you want to be effective. I believe we can disagree about things and be civil about it. Just because we don't agree doesn't make someone an enemy. Legislating is a give and take, you won't know what to give if you don't know the people sitting across the table from you.

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

Agriculture, Economic Growth, Local Government, and Natural Resources.
My educational background in city planning, public administration, and agriculture make me well suited to serve on these committees.

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

My Great Grandfather served in Iowa Legislature long before I was born. His name was Ray Shepard and he was elected to the legislature after serving as Sheriff of Lucas County. By all accounts he was a well-respected man who sought to find pragmatic solutions to better Iowa.

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

My interests are in Iowa. I live on a Century Farm, I don't intend to leave it to serve.

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?

When I ran in 2018, I was knocking doors and come upon a house when the owner was out in the yard. We got to talking and he opened up that his son had recently died by suicide. The scar of his passing was very fresh. I stopped canvassing that day and listened to him tell me about his son and the situations surrounding his death for nearly two hours. I will never forget that interaction and what it taught me about mental health and grief. I hope that sharing the story of his son helped bring some solace to a grieving father as well.

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.

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External links

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Iowa House of Representatives

Leadership

Majority Leader:Bobby Kaufmann

Representatives

District 1

J.D. Scholten (D)

District 2

Robert Henderson (R)

District 3

Thomas Jeneary (R)

District 4

Skyler Wheeler (R)

District 5

Zach Dieken (R)

District 6

Megan Jones (R)

District 7

Vacant

District 8

Ann Meyer (R)

District 9

Henry Stone (R)

District 10

John Wills (R)

District 11

Craig Williams (R)

District 12

Steven Holt (R)

District 13

Travis Sitzmann (R)

District 14

Jacob Bossman (R)

District 15

Matt Windschitl (R)

District 16

David Sieck (R)

District 17

Devon Wood (R)

District 18

Tom Moore (R)

District 19

Brent Siegrist (R)

District 20

Josh Turek (D)

District 21

Brooke Boden (R)

District 22

Samantha Fett (R)

District 23

Ray Sorensen (R)

District 24

Sam Wengryn (R)

District 25

Hans Wilz (R)

District 26

Austin Harris (R)

District 27

Kenan Judge (D)

District 28

David Young (R)

District 29

Brian Meyer (D)

District 30

Megan Srinivas (D)

District 31

Mary Madison (D)

District 32

Jennifer Konfrst (D)

District 33

Ruth Gaines (D)

District 34

Rob Johnson (D)

District 35

Sean Bagniewski (D)

District 36

Austin Baeth (D)

District 37

Barb McCulla (R)

District 38

Jon Dunwell (R)

District 39

Rick Olson (D)

District 40

Bill Gustoff (R)

District 41

Ryan Weldon (R)

District 42

Heather Matson (D)

District 43

Eddie Andrews (R)

District 44

Larry McBurney (D)

District 45

Brian Lohse (R)

District 46

Dan Gehlbach (R)

District 47

Carter Nordman (R)

District 48

Chad Behn (R)

District 49

Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D)

District 50

Ross Wilburn (D)

District 51

Brett Barker (R)

District 52

David Blom (R)

District 53

Dean Fisher (R)

District 54

Joshua Meggers (R)

District 55

Shannon Latham (R)

District 56

Mark Thompson (R)

District 57

Pat Grassley (R)

District 58

Charley Thomson (R)

District 59

Christian Hermanson (R)

District 60

Jane Bloomingdale (R)

District 61

Timi Brown-Powers (D)

District 62

Jerome Amos (D)

District 63

Michael Bergan (R)

District 64

Jason Gearhart (R)

District 65

Shannon Lundgren (R)

District 66

Steven Bradley (R)

District 67

Craig Johnson (R)

District 68

Chad Ingels (R)

District 69

Tom Determann (R)

District 70

Norlin Mommsen (R)

District 71

Lindsay James (D)

District 72

Jennifer Smith (R)

District 73

Elizabeth Wilson (D)

District 74

Eric Gjerde (D)

District 75

Bob Kressig (D)

District 76

Derek Wulf (R)

District 77

Jeff Cooling (D)

District 78

Angel Ramirez (D)

District 79

Tracy Ehlert (D)

District 80

Aime Wichtendahl (D)

District 81

Daniel Gosa (D)

District 82

Bobby Kaufmann (R)

District 83

Cindy Golding (R)

District 84

Thomas Gerhold (R)

District 85

Amy Nielsen (D)

District 86

David Jacoby (D)

District 87

Jeff Shipley (R)

District 88

Helena Hayes (R)

District 89

Elinor Levin (D)

District 90

Adam Zabner (D)

District 91

Judd Lawler (R)

District 92

Heather Hora (R)

District 93

Gary Mohr (R)

District 94

Mike Vondran (R)

District 95

Taylor Collins (R)

District 96

Mark Cisneros (R)

District 97

Ken Croken (D)

District 98

Monica Kurth (D)

District 99

Matthew Rinker (R)

District 100

Blaine Watkins (R)

Republican Party (66)

Democratic Party (33)

Vacancies (1)