Brown announces run for District 48 seat

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Even after living in St. Louis for two years, when people asked Matt Brown where he lived, he’d reply, “Well, I’m from Iowa, but I’m living in St. Louis.” “I kind of questioned myself on why that was,” Brown said in a Creston News Advertiser interview. “I think the reason is, so much of myself is invested in this community. I feel it’s where I belong, and I want to make sure that we’re able to maintain the lifestyle that we’ve got.” He has decided the best way to do that is to represent District 48 in the Iowa Senate. Brown, who graduated from East Union High School in Afton, gave up a banking job in St. Louis to return to Iowa and farm near Thayer. He filed papers last week to make his run as a Democratic candidate official. “Why? Well, the timing is just too important,” he said. “We’re at such a crossroads right now on so many levels, and we need to have a true advocate for the area.” District 48 includes Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Montgomery, Ringgold, Taylor and Union counties. The seat is currently held by Sen. Jeff Angelo, R-Creston, who has decided not to run again after three terms. Brown admits he “frustrated so many people” by how long he spent on the decision to run. “I took a really long time and talked to a lot of people, and eventually came to the conclusion that most of the people in the area agree with where I stand,” Brown said. “If there were a widespread viewpoint in the district that I did not support, I would not consider myself a good candidate.” Goals While he’s not a seasoned politician, Brown, 25, isn’t letting that stop him. “If I’m supporting an idea that I feel passionately about, I know I can be extremely effective,” he said. His focus is on education and economic development. “Education is at the forefront of everyone’s minds right now, with the state passing their curriculum standards,” Brown said. “If that’s the direction the state wants to go, we need to make sure those curriculum standards are exemplary, not subpar, because education is something the state of Iowa has held in high esteem for a long time.” Also, Brown said his work with Regions Bank in St. Louis has given him first-hand knowledge on the importance of infrastructure. As a senator, he’d be “willing and ready to fight for those infrastructure dollars in this area.” “Southwest Iowa has kind of been left behind in some of the infrastructure things, which is a major factor in profitability for businesses,” Brown said. “We can vie for a new power plant, but if we don’t have the water for it to run efficiently, we’re going to lose it. … If we can put the infrastructure in place, it’ll help create a stable job environment, not just a ‘this is good for now’ environment.” Conversations Brown majored in economics with an education concentration at Grinnell College, where he played both basketball and baseball. He spent time teaching English in Greece and backpacking the Andes in South America, getting “perspective on the way people see us,” before working in St. Louis. Politics was never far from his mind, though. He said he’s been involved in political conversations “from a very early age,” and can be “extremely opinionated” when necessary. He’s open to different viewpoints, though. “I’ve gotten into a lot of really great conversations over the past couple of months, and I’m learning,” he said. “The way I’m looking at it is, I don’t have a formula to apply to everything. I’m willing to listen to every option and look for the best solution.” Brown’s parents are Bob and Bev Brown. Bob has served on the Union County Board of Supervisors for 23 years, and Bev has been a teacher and principal at Murray Community High School for more than 20 years. —————— Jasmynne Sloan can be reached at (641) 782-2141 ext. 236 or jsloan@crestonnews.com