Clewell to Run for IA Senate District 41

Written by: Rich Clewell on Jan 6, 2010 11:20 PM EST

Contact:  Richard Clewell                                                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Telephone:  563.359.4598

Email:  clewell4senate@gmail.com

CLEWELL TO RUN FOR IOWA STATE SENATE

Richard Clewell of Davenport announced today that he is a candidate for the Iowa State Senate in District 41.

Senate District 41 covers the cities of Bettendorf, Riverdale, and most of Davenport east of U.S. 61.

“The issues facing Iowans are unprecedented in my lifetime and we must work together to achieve sustainable economic recovery,” Clewell said. “I am confident that as a state and a nation we will rise above the current fiscal crisis and be stronger for it, having learned from the mistakes of the past.”  “However, it will not happen without cooperative consensus-building that holds the benefit of all Iowans paramount.”  “I am a candidate for Senate District 41 because this is the kind of leadership constituents in my district and all Iowans deserve.”

A Wildlife Biologist for more than 30 years, Clewell recently retired as a Federal employee with the Department of Defense.  He also recently completed two years as an environmental consultant with Weston Solutions, Inc. He is a Viet Nam era veteran, having served in the Air Force from 1971-1975.

Clewell has served as an elected member of the Davenport School Board since 2001 and is currently serving as Vice President.  “While on the school board I coordinated a working session with surrounding Iowa school boards to reach common goals; chair a committee which working with community focus groups to establish a shared vision, and chair the board’s Legislative Advocacy Committee.”  Clewell was also recently elected as the District 6 Representative to the Iowa Association of School Boards.

“The primary issue before District 41 is not dissimilar to that of other Iowa districts:  We must restore economic stability.”  “This recovery program will need to address multiple fronts.”  “While near term issues like unemployment, health care, and veterans benefits must be strategically addressed, we cannot lose sight of the long term investments that make our economy resilient like education, mental health, and methodical urban development.”  “The upside of a down economy is that it forces us to look for efficiencies that we might have otherwise have taken for granted.”

“We need to put middle class Iowans back to work and help sustain the long-term growth of our small business community,” Clewell said. “Small businesses are the backbone of Senate District 41. Without Iowa’s entrepreneurs and creative and hard-working middle class, Iowa would be in worse shape. And let’s face it, it’s been Iowa’s middle class and small business owners who have been among the hardest hit by this national recession and among the least supported by federal economic recovery programs.”

Rich Clewell has two children, Alex and Beth who are both attending the University of Iowa.

Clewell received bachelor’s degrees from Iowa State University in Fish and Wildlife Biology and Psychology in 1978.

“The bottom line is that we must do some things right here at home to restore economic stability and balance our state budget while holding government accountable. Finding efficiencies and re-organizing state government are a great way to facilitate this process. I am running for Iowa Senate because I believe I can offer new insight and experience to meet our goals.”

Clewell said he is anxious to begin talking with District 41 constituents about their concerns, hopes, and aspirations.  “There are over 46,000 registered voters in District 41 and 22,000 households,” he noted. “I’ll be out knocking doors and meeting as many of the people of Senate District 41 as I can to find out how I can best represent them at the State Capitol.”   

His website, clewell4senate.com is currently under construction and will be available soon.  In the meantime he invites residents to call him at home, (563) 359-4598, or email at (clewell4senate@gmail.com).

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Location: Davenport, IA 52803