Laid-off state worker seeks IA House seat held by Ron Paul backer

A woman who worked in the Iowa Workforce Development office in Denison until the Branstad Administration closed the office (and 36 others) down is going for a new job, as a state legislator.  Kasey Friedrichsen would face state Representative Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, who is the incumbent in the new district — if she wins the Democratic nomination in House District 18.  Schultz has endorsed Ron Paul’s bid for the GOP’s presidential nomination, so a Ron Paul “money bomb” of some sort for Schultz may be part of the dynamic in this race.  Paul helped several state legislative candidates raise money for 2010 races, including a fundraiser for Kent Sorenson, the state senator who is now managing Michele Bachmann’s Iowa campaign.)

Iowa House District 18 has a GOP voter registration edge of just over 1300. Denison is the largest city in the district. Read the news release below.

Denison, Iowa – Denison native Kasey Friedrichsen announced today that she will run for state representative in District 18, which includes Shelby County and parts of Crawford and Harrison Counties.

“This district needs a state representative who listens to people, puts politics aside and does what’s best for us,” said Friedrichsen, who grew up in the Denison-Schleswig area. “I’ve worked with hundreds of citizens in our community who are looking for work or need to upgrade their skills to land a good-paying job.  In these tough economic times, we must do all we can to create jobs, put Iowans back to work, and help our community thrive and grow.”

Friedrichsen’s interest in politics began at Denison High School, where she established Denison’s local chapter of Just Eliminate Lies, a state-wide youth-led anti-tobacco group, after her first visit to Des Moines’ capitol building in 9th grade to lobby her legislators about the dangers of smoking among teens. Friedrichsen also served on the Executive Council of the state-wide Just Eliminate Lies group throughout high school and served as a page in the Iowa Senate.

“I will bring a fresh perspective and common sense to the Iowa House.
I will be a strong voice for small businesses, rural Iowa, and young people who want to live and raise a family in western Iowa,” added Friedrichsen.

Friedrichsen, who will complete a Master’s Degree of Public Administration later this year, served as an intern in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC and also served as a clerk in the Iowa House of Representatives.  After graduating from Drake University, Friedrichsen worked for Iowa Workforce Development in Denison and Des Moines.  Due to the unfortunate closure of the Denison Iowa Workforce Development office, her position at IWD was eliminated this year.

Friedrichsen resides in Denison where she is a member of the United Presbyterian Church and the Denison Young Professionals.