Gail Allison, retired teacher, and recent candidate for House District 58 decided she needed to prepare the 4-county area of Butler, Bremer, Chickasaw, and Floyd for the next election. This area is combined with House 57 to form Senate District 29 and is in Congressional District 2.

The second Sunday afternoon of every month beginning last January, citizens of the area have been coming together in Nashua. Many readers will recognize the name as the home of the “Little Brown Church.” The group meets in the building behind the church structure. Prior to their first meeting all the registered Democrats were contacted through a mass emailing.

About 20 persons attend the meetings, but they are frequently not the same individuals. Gail believes about 60 persons are now expressing interest in revitalizing Democratic values in the District.

The group has moved from lamenting and mourning the past November 2024 election. Rather they are reaching out to Democrats, Independent voters, and to Republicans who are not pleased with the activities at the National and State level.

While they have not formed a name, the Nashua group are determined to identify their own message, and ultimate branding. They are refusing to let the Republicans define them
The established goals of the Sunday group are:
   1. Marketing Development
   2. Message Development
   3. Candidate Recruitment
   4. Fundraising
   5. Establishment of identifiable worker bees

They are going to avoid “hot button” social issues such as LGBTQ+ and abortion. Their topics for messaging are going to focus on the “kitchen table” issues of inadequate rural health care, and the serious economic decline that are facing rural Iowans.

The activities that Gail and the others are implementing serves as a model for other start up groups in Iowa. Gail shares her email and phone number so others may talk with her as they begin to revitalize in their own communities.

Gail Allison: 319-483-8975
Gailkallison@gmail.com

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