Budget Cuts: His main goal if elected would be to get state spending under control.

“I say enough to taxes — I think we all do,” Bacon said.

He would also strive to increase transparency by making the budget available to view online.

Health Care: Bacon said health care is more of a federal issue than a state one. However, he said most of the citizens he had spoken with while campaigning were not in favor of the new legislation.

Jobs and Economic Development: Bacon said the state needs to be tax friendly to employers. He believes this would let them spend more money on hiring employees rather than taxes. The higher employment would benefit the whole economy.

Civil Rights: “People want the right to vote on it,” Bacon said of same-sex marriage. He said he would try to get the issue on a ballot so citizens could vote for or against a constitutional amendment.

Immigration: “I’m all in favor of it, I wouldn’t be here otherwise,” Bacon said. 

However, he said immigration needs to be done legally, and that illegal immigrants need to be deported.

He said he would try to speed up the legal immigration process, so it would be easier for people to come into the country legally.

Education: When he moved to Iowa, Bacon said it was ranked top in the nation for education but that the state has slipped in recent years. He said his goal would be to get Iowa in the top 5 percent of the nation.

He also said it was important to retain graduates.

“There’s no need to be exporting the brightest minds to other states,” Bacon said.

Background: Bacon grew up in Indiana and Illinois. He studied at Northern Illinois University before coming to Iowa and completing a degree in bible and pastoral counseling. He then attended a mortuary college in Chicago and has worked as a funeral home director ever since. His previous experience in politics includes serving on the city councils for Maxwell and Freemont.