Republican challenger Chris Cournoyer announced she was running in Iowa Senate District 49 a seat currently held by State Senator Rita Hart (D-Wheatland).
Cournoyer launched her campaign with a rally at the Mississippi River Distilling Company in Le Claire on Thursday. In her remarks to supporters, Cournoyer highlighted the overwhelming encouragement from her community as her inspiration to run for the Iowa Senate.
As a small business owner, mother of four children, and president of the Pleasant Valley Community School Board, Cournoyer said she is passionate about strengthening our economy, our schools, and our communities.
Cournoyer believes in a strong public education system that meets the needs of each individual student in order to ensure graduates are prepared for post-secondary success. “No matter what our graduates do, we want to make sure they are ready to continue their education and receive additional training that will be critical for them to be ready to compete in our global knowledge-based economy…while always being fiscally responsible stewards of the taxpayer dollars,” Cournoyer said in her announcement.
Through her work on the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and as President of the Quad City Engineering and Science Council, Cournoyer is committed to equipping Iowa children with the skills necessary to succeed in today’s knowledge-based economy.
In her remarks, she vowed to keep needless government bureaucracy from slowing down our economy. Cournoyer knows reducing taxes encourages job creators to create new opportunities for our students to stay in Iowa after graduation and attract top talent from other states.
As a Reserve Deputy with the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, Cournoyer understands the needs of law enforcement. She is committed to ensuring our communities are safe and attractive to all its citizens.
Cournoyer lives in rural Scott County with her husband Kurt and four children.