Sonya Heitshusen

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Sonya Heitshusen
Image of Sonya Heitshusen
Elections and appointments
Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Iowa State University, 1992

Personal
Birthplace
Marengo, Iowa
Religion
Protestant
Profession
Communications director
Contact

Sonya Heitshusen (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Iowa House of Representatives to represent District 28. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Heitshusen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Sonya Heitshusen was born in Marengo, Iowa. She earned a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in 1992. Her career experience includes working as a communications director for the Iowa Auditor of State and a television anchor and investigative reporter. Heitshusen has been affiliated with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Team Run Free, the Central Iowa Shelter and Services, One Iowa, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Ankeny YMCA, and the Alzheimers Association.[1]

Elections

2022

See also: Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Iowa House of Representatives District 28

David Young defeated Sonya Heitshusen in the general election for Iowa House of Representatives District 28 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of David Young
David Young (R)
 
53.1
 
7,566
Image of Sonya Heitshusen
Sonya Heitshusen (D) Candidate Connection
 
46.7
 
6,659
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
25

Total votes: 14,250
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 28

Sonya Heitshusen defeated Tom Walton in the Democratic primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 28 on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sonya Heitshusen
Sonya Heitshusen Candidate Connection
 
71.7
 
1,346
Image of Tom Walton
Tom Walton Candidate Connection
 
28.2
 
529
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
2

Total votes: 1,877
Candidate Connection = 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 28

David Young advanced from the Republican primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 28 on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of David Young
David Young
 
99.1
 
1,627
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.9
 
14

Total votes: 1,641
Candidate Connection = 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.

Endorsements

To view Heitshusen's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

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

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Sonya grew up on a family farm in eastern Iowa near the Amana Colonies in Iowa County. The youngest of six children, Sonya bailed hay and tended to livestock alongside her brothers.

Sonya graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Journalism. She quickly established herself as a fact-driven, truth-seeking anchor and investigative reporter devoted to giving a voice to the voiceless and uncovering injustices. She is the recipient of numerous Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, and Eric Sevareid awards.

Sonya is most proud of her investigative work that resulted in real change for Iowans. Like the time she advocated for a boy with autism whose insurer refused to cover his ABA therapy. Sonya went to bat for him, eventually securing the treatment he needed and legally deserved. Sonya was also instrumental in shutting down an organization that mistreated and neglected individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. By following the money, she also exposed the state’s failure to track the tax dollars given to that organization. Sonya is now the Director of Communications for the Auditor of State Office and assists on performance and investigative reports conducted by the Auditor’s Office. Sonya believes in giving back to the community, serving on the Boards of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association and the Ankeny YMCA, and being active in numerous philanthropic organizations, such as the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Team Run Free, and One Iowa to name a few.
  • We need to invest in our teachers, our public schools and most importantly our kids. Iowa was once first in the nation in education. We’re now middle of the pack, in large part because lawmakers have underfunded education for a decade. On average, Iowa's public schools have received less than a 2.5% increase over the last decade. I will support our educators and appropriate the necessary funds to keep quality teachers in Iowa and attract new educators to the state. Education is the foundation for every child’s future. We shouldn’t skimp on it. Offering world-class education will strengthen our families, our communities, our workforce, and our state. I also oppose vouchers for private schools. Public money should stay in public schools,
  • We need to fight for laws and programs that protect working families and put them first – and not big corporations. Poverty in America estimates the livable wage in Iowa is $23.88 per hour. That’s for a family of four with both adults working. The minimum wage in our state remains $7.25 per hour – the lowest of any neighboring state while Illinois's minimum wage is $12 per hour and Minnesota's is $10 per hour. I would raise the minimum wage to help struggling families, boost wages for all workers, and help combat the workforce crisis our state is facing. We also need to find innovative solutions to the childcare crisis. Lack of childcare is preventing women in particular from joining the workforce.
  • We need to ensure women maintain reproductive rights. I will fight to keep reproductive healthcare between a woman and her doctor. Anything less will endanger the lives of women and harm already marginalized families and communities. While Iowa women currently have a constitutional right to an abortion, Republicans have started the process of passing a constitutional amendment that would take away that right. I will fight any legislation to further restrict access to abortion. I will also fight to close the gender pay gap. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Iowa dropped to 40th in the country in pay equity in 2020. Iowa women deserve better. We need to address systemic biases holding women back .
The Privatization of Medicaid is not working for many individuals, especially the most vulnerable Iowans. I assisted on

a report for the Auditor’s Office that showed an 890% increase in illegal denials of care by Managed Care Organizations in Iowa post-privatization. I’ve listened to disabled Iowans who can’t find caregivers to help them out of bed or make their meals. This is unacceptable. A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. We must raise the bar, and we can do that by adequately paying healthcare providers for the essential services they deliver to people in their homes, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. We must hold the owners of long-term care facilities accountable. They should not be allowed to amass huge profits, largely from our tax dollars, while jeopardizing the health and wellbeing of residents. We must also provide incentives to attract healthcare providers to underserved areas in our state. That includes investments in affordable housing, reliable internet access, and student loan forgiveness for healthcare providers who commit to residing in underserved communities for a specified period. We also need to take measures to restore and protect Iowa’s land and natural resources for our farmers, our children, and future generations. We must finally put money into the Iowa Natural Resources and Outdoor

Recreation Fund, which voters overwhelmingly approved in 2010.
My mother is my first role model. She was a trailblazer in many respects. She sought treatment for infertility in the 1950s when options for women were few and far between. She desperately wanted children and refused to give up. Ten years after treatment, my mother and father were the proud parents of six children. I also get my advocacy for education from my mother. She was valedictorian of her class and earned music and academic scholarships to Valparaiso University but her father refused to let her attend. She determined all of her children would receive the best education possible. Her conviction resulted in her becoming the first woman to serve as President of the local school board. She handed me my high school diploma. I will be forever grateful to my mother for instilling in me the values of public service, hard work, courage, and strength. I truly believe that by working hard and working together, almost anything is possible.
Elected officials are public servants. They need to be accessible and listen to the concerns of their constituents. They should be problem solvers who can work with others to find meaningful, long-term solutions to complex problems. I read a book many years ago and one theme from the book stayed with me: Setting good public policy is the best thing someone can do for future generations. I'm not just running to make Iowa better today. I'm running to build a better Iowa for future generations. I also believe elected officials need to be courageous. We need to stand up for what is right, defend democracy, and do the right thing, even when that might not be politically advantageous.
I will work tirelessly for my constituents. Growing up on a family farm and completing three Ironman races, I know the meaning of hard work. I'm also a good listener. As a journalist, I know the importance of listening to all parties and the importance of using facts to find the truth. I will give a voice to the voiceless and fight to ensure every Iowan has equal opportunities to thrive.
It's hard for me to say which book is my favorite. I have many. I recently read the book "The Choice" by Dr. Edith Eger. Eger is a survivor of Auschwitz. The book details her time in the concentration camp but it's ultimately about forgiveness, healing, and transformation. I highly recommend it.
I'm most concerned about education, providing opportunities for working families, keeping and attracting workers, and our environment. Iowa has plummeted in education rankings. Iowa was once number one in education in the nation. We are now middle of the pack because lawmakers have not fully funded public schools. This is also affecting our workforce. People once moved to Iowa because it offered excellent schools. Now, people are leaving the state in search of better schools and a more welcoming environment. Our teachers are resigning in near record numbers because they are underpaid and under attack by a far right national movement sweeping the country. We must also commit to cleaning up our waterways. Roughly 700 waterways in Iowa are deemed impaired to the point they cannot be used for sources of drinking water or for recreation. Iowa voters established the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Fund in 2010 but lawmakers haven't figured out a way to fund it. Doing so would be a good first step to cleaning up our waterways, which in turn would attract more people to our state.
Numerous people in my District have told me they're concerned about education in Iowa. They're dismayed by the recent attacks on teachers and the false claims by some GOP lawmakers that educators have a "sinister agenda." People have also expressed concern that legislation recently passed is creating an "unwelcoming" environment in Iowa. These two issues were underscored in a conversation with a gay couple I spoke with. They're moving out of the state because one man is a teacher, who feels his profession is under attack. Both men feel less welcome because of their sexual orientation. This saddens me. Traditionally, Iowa has been one of the most progressive states in the country. Examples include lifting the ban on same-sex marriage in 2009 and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919 (the 10th state to do so). I've also heard from teachers who feel overworked and under attack. I've also heard from family members of teachers. A native Iowan told me his sister would like to return to Iowa to teach but it would mean a $20,000 pay cut. He also said his sister would not return to Iowa because of the policies that undermine public schools. We cannot allow this to continue. Education is the foundation for every child's future. We must make it a priority.
I strongly believe compromise is necessary. It’s time to turn the page on bitter, divisive politics and usher in a new era of civility, courage, and common sense.

The late former Governor Robert Ray, a champion of these core, Iowa values, made the case for bipartisanship and hope in his inaugural address in 1975, a time when the Governor and the legislature, and much of the country were politically divided.
“We have a chance now to show people everywhere, that Republicans and Democrats can work constructively together for the broad interests of our state,” Ray said. “We have a capacity for openness and candor in this state. The American people are fed up with untruths and lies. We will lead them by telling them the truth and entrusting them with it.”
This election is another opportunity for Iowans to bridge divides and support leaders who are open and honest, leaders who will do the right thing despite the political fallout, and leaders who will put in the time and effort to reach thoughtful, enduring solutions to long-standing, complex problems.

This isn’t easy. This is hard work but I’m up for the challenge. I vow to listen. I will listen to people with opposing viewpoints and to people from opposing parties. No one person or party has all the answers. I will work with anyone who has the best interests of Iowans at heart.

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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Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 27, 2022


Current members of the Iowa House of Representatives
Leadership
Majority Leader:Bobby Kaufmann
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
Vacant
District 8
Ann Meyer (R)
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
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District 14
District 15
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District 17
District 18
Tom Moore (R)
District 19
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District 21
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District 23
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District 25
Hans Wilz (R)
District 26
District 27
District 28
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District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
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District 46
District 47
District 48
Chad Behn (R)
District 49
District 50
District 51
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District 86
District 87
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District 92
District 93
Gary Mohr (R)
District 94
District 95
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District 99
District 100
Republican Party (66)
Democratic Party (33)
Vacancies (1)