Black Hawk County Democrats - Feb. 20, 2022

We address this workforce shortage; we address this workforce crisis; we address this education crisis; we address the lack of availability to health care and mental health care with one thing folks – a new governor. That’s how we address it.

I’m confident, I don’t have all the answers but I got quite a few, but I am confident that Iowa knows what's good for Iowa. I am confident that these cookie cutter copy and pasted bills from Florida and Texas, are no good for us. They are no good for us.

I’m also confident that I don't do this by myself. I do this with each and every one of you all. Representative Smith talked about the tactics changing, how folks are going all out. Well, we're capable of going all out – because we've done it before. We've done it before. But I know since 2018, we haven't got all the wins that we wanted – but we got some good ones. And if there was any indicator that the electorate is ready, look at this past school board and city council race, where we had some record turnouts and some amazing folks get elected in communities like Waterloo. People are ready, but the question is are you? Because, you all are the giants, that's why you're here today. Isaac Newton said, “I see farther because I stand on the shoulders of giants.” Our communities are stronger because you all are here today. And if you're willing, you'll go out and get more people engaged – because that's how we win this race. I know that there's a lot of rhetoric happening on the republican side and we want to correct the record and we want to let them know what the truth is – but we also have to make sure we engage our own people; and empower our own people. My grandma used to say, ‘sweep around your own back door before you come and sweep around mine.’

We've got to re-engage those disenchanted democrats that are like ‘we're done’ – because they're so caught up in national politics. We've got to engage our students who are hungry; who have a voice to be reckoned with. We have to connect with our communities of color in ways that we never have.

And one thing I’ll say for sure, is that the Iowa Democratic Party has to invest in Black Hawk County. We do, we do – because we need each and every one of you all, on the ground with us, helping us throughout this process. This battle will not be easy, but it will be worth it. I want to get in there and do the work, the good work that Iowa deserves, but we've got to put up a fight, over the next several months. But it's not anything we haven't done before.

We talked about number one in education. This is a state when everybody was trying to figure out who married who, why they should marry – Iowa said marry who you choose. This is a state, that when the rest of the country was trying to figure out who should be the next president, Iowa said loud and clear ‘a black man should.’ That came out of this state. We see, the national media forgetting who we are – that doesn’t matter, as long as we remember. As long as we remember, we've got it in us. can we go get it done? Are we willing to go get it done?

Aw Black Hawk County – are we willing to get it done?

Alright, I’ll open it up for questions.

DeJear, D. [Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier]. (2022, February 21) Deidre DeJear, running for Iowa governor, speaks to Black Hawk County Democrats Feb. 20, 2022 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6DHmy9uHmc] Retrieved on April 15, 2022 from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzRquKu82KHGXjaBb2Uok5g.