Brad Magg says there are many reasons his campaign is resonating

Brad Magg is one week away from knowing if all his efforts, and the efforts of the re-energized Jasper County Democratic Party, have paid off.

While the party has certainly had its fair share of worthy candidates since former state representative Wes Breckenridge stepped down more than three years ago, none had the name recognition that Magg has. Of course, campaigns rely on more than just familiar faces to win. Candidates need to put in the work.

The longtime Colfax resident, city council member and business owner has led an aggressive grassroots campaign for Iowa House District 38. He had a very visible float at local parades, set up a booth at the county fair giving out free waters and popcorn and secured five billboards all around the county.

Developing a recognizable brand is, well, on brand for the owner of both Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe in Prairie City and The Bacon Box concession stand at the Iowa State Fair. Coupled with a team of seasoned political door knockers, Magg has maintained a strong momentum. But there are other factors in his favor, too.

FACTOR #1: CROSS-PARTY SUPPORT

From the moment he announced his campaign, Magg has been surprised by the influx of support from typically Republican voters. It is not uncommon to find front lawns featuring a Brad Magg sign next to signs supporting Republican candidates running for county supervisor and the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I’ve almost had as much Republican support as I have Democrat,” Magg said.

To him, the Republican support he has received partly translates to “don’t touch our public schools.” Magg’s campaign advocates for strong public schools, but he said education should not be a partisan issue. For many small towns, the public school is the foundation for which these communities are built on.

“Look at communities like Lynnville-Sully and Baxter, which would traditionally be more red,” Magg said. “If these communities lose their schools that are hanging on by a thread, they have no town left. Those communities have gone above and beyond to keep their schools thriving at their own expense.”

FACTOR #2: EDUCATION CONCERNS

For the past few years, the Iowa Legislature and the governor have passed a number of laws that affect public schools. Shifting open enrollment deadlines, education savings accounts and book bans were just the start. While lawmakers did pass a law increasing teacher pay, it also altered Area Education Agencies.

School board members in many Iowa school districts have been asking for more Supplemental State Aid funds. And while the Iowa Legislature has not directly decreased its share to public schools, many still say it is not enough. Magg said Jasper County voters, who have a stake in their schools, have taken notice.

He, too, is worried whether public schools are still going to be viable with the direction the state is going.

“Jon (Dunwell) is leading the charge on defunding public education,” Magg said of his opponent. “…To this day, he is adamant that he’s been such a great advocate for public schools, even though you go to a school board meeting and they talk about all these mandates to meet with not enough money to do that.”

Magg said he has also met with families who are now struggling to send their kids to private school — even with ESAs — as a result of increased tuition rates.

“Now they’re worried about being able to afford it because tuition hikes have gotten up so high,” Magg said. “So now those people that were supportive are like, ‘Well, wait a minute, this backfired.’ So the ones that are still supportive don’t have children in school or can afford it.”

FACTOR #3: DIVISION IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump has polarized some longtime Republican voters who feel he and his followers have taken the party in a direction they are uncomfortable with. Many even realize Trump is not a squeaky clean candidate but still feel compelled to vote for him.

Others have had enough. They have voted Republican all their lives, but they are tired of the shenanigans. Magg has met these voters on the campaign trail, and he said many them feel even the state Republican Party has overstepped and even disenfranchised their own party.

“This isn’t Iowa,” Magg said. “At the end of the day we can disagree and go to our different churches, but we don’t burn the other church down.”

FACTOR #4: NAME RECOGNITION

Growing up in a smaller town like Colfax meant that everybody knew everything about Magg, which was something he was used to. He became even more used to it after founding his catering business at age 14, because by then he wanted more people to know him so they would support him.

Nowadays, everyone in Jasper County knows about Brag Magg. The popularity of Goldie’s and its 2009 best breaded tenderloin win from Iowa Pork Producers Association boosted his presence in the community. As did his successful run for city council, for which he was served for the past 15 years.

“But I didn’t fully understand how many people truly knew me until this when I started running,” Magg said. “So that’s been good for the campaign, but it’s been an adjustment for me as a person. I was prepared for it but it was just a little more than I would have expected. But in a good way.”

FACTOR #5: HARRIS & WALZ ARE BETTER THAN BIDEN

While Republicans in Jasper County have become more organized over the years, Democrats in Jasper County have been rebuilding and reconciling. Past election losses not withstanding, the Democrats have been struggling to find a top leader to rally around who was not named Joe Biden.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz were the kick in the pants the local Democrats needed. It got them even more excited for the Iowa House District 38 race. Magg said the shift from Biden to Harris has helped his campaign, too.

“I’m running in a red district,” Magg said. “At state trainings, the Democratic data shows Democrats are popular at the local and state level, but in Iowa they were not supporting Biden … I’ve been so happy and so surprised to see that Harris became the nominee without fractioning off different parts of the party.”

FACTOR #6: MAGG IS DRIVEN

As a teenager, Magg started his own business. Magg Family Catering still operates to this day. By his early 20s, Magg took a small town ice cream shop in Prairie City to new heights. Today, the restaurant continues to be a popular hot spot for locals and out-of-towners, and it has expanded to meet those needs.

Then came the Bacon Box concession stand at the Iowa State Fair just a few years ago. Shortly after that, he introduced two new concession stands: The Snack Box and G-Pop’s Candy Box. Now he’s running for statehouse. And he certainly wasn’t going to do a half-ass job. He wouldn’t allow that.

“If you’re going to do something, you might as well do it right and do it well,” he said. “I come at this from a business aspect. Goldie’s would not be alive today if we hadn’t won the tenderloin award and got all the publicity we got. Marketing and brand awareness is, in my mind, the key to success for everything.”

FACTOR #7: MAGG’S FOCUS ON WORKING TOGETHER

Voters have taken a liking to Magg’s approach to politics. Magg said he enjoys listening to people and their issues and trying to find a compromise.

“The problem these past several years — at all levels and with both parties — is the unwillingness to compromise and the political rhetoric that ensues,” he said. “One of the biggest struggles nowadays is getting accurate information. Even elected officials are spewing incorrect data that’s harmful.”

Whether they are voting red or voting blue, people tired of the drama. Magg said when he is knocking doors and has come across Republican voters who do not like what is going on for Washington, he first reminds them he is not running for president and that local communities are important to him.

“Both parties need to work together and find some common ground,” he said. “We talk about it and it’s music to their ears. So a conversation that starts off hostile then turns into, ‘OK, here’s someone who can actually work together with others and be level-headed.’ That really resonates with people.”