300 Main Street, Suite 200, Dubuque, IA 52001
Mon – Thurs 8 am – 5 pm, Fri 8 am – 12 pm
Thomas Townsend (D)
1940 Amelia Drive
Dubuque, IA 52001
(563) 543-4708
thomastwnsnd1@gmail.com
Who?
Equipment Operator. After high school, I decided to serve my country and enlist in the US Navy, where I trained and served aboard a nuclear submarine.After 6 years in the Navy, I was honorably discharged and trained to become a union electrician. For the past 12 years, I have served as the Business Manager for IBEW Local 704, advocating for the working people of our community and ensuring that our area companies are safe and gratifying places to work. My wife, Judee, and I have three adult children and five grandkids.
Why?
I have spent most of my adult life serving. After serving my country in the US Navy, my fellow workers as the Business Manager for IBEW Local 704, and as the president of the Dubuque Area Labor Harvest, stepping up to serve my community in Des Moines feels like the natural next step. I have spent the past 12 years advocating for workers and working with businesses to create environments where workers are safe and taken care of, leading to stronger companies. I am ready to advocate for all working folks of Dubuque and help make Iowa a place where people choose to live, work, and thrive.
What?
Mental health care touches all Iowans, no matter their socioeconomic status. However, Iowa is far behind our neighbors when it comes to taking care of the mental health of our citizens. In 2016, Iowa was ranked last in the nation for the availability of psychiatric beds per capita. This leads many to remain in our hospital ERs while waiting for a bed to open, often having to travel hours away from their family and friends to receive the care that they need. I will also advocate to once again fully fund our public schools and AEA programs. We cannot grow our skilled workforce in Iowa without investing in education–from preschool to trade school and college.
How you intend torepresent the business community?
I will always be an advocate for the working people of Iowa, working to ensure that their workplaces are safe and their wages are fair. As a union leader, I have worked with our contractors for years and feel it is mutually beneficial when we are all on the same page. I have seen that businesses that look out for their employees attract and maintain the highest quality workers, which in turn, gives those businesses the highest quality work and provides for a larger profit margin.
What should government’s role in business entail?
A successful state is one where the government and businesses see each other as partners. The government provides vital infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, schools, and broadband access. Businesses provide good-paying jobs that attract workers who live, work, play, and pay taxes.
