A local businessman is gearing up for a second try at the Iowa House.

Steve Halloran ran for representative for Iowa House District 61 in 2000 against Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames. Although he garnered 43 percent of the vote, it wasn’t enough to trump Greimann’s 54 percent.

Halloran is currently running for a seat in the Iowa House on the Republican ticket.

As a result of redistricting, he is now in Iowa House District 46, which Halloran called a “blend of the city of Ames, Gilbert, Madrid and Luther.” District 61 was primarily northern Ames.

“It’s a district that I’d actually be more comfortable in [than District 61],” he said.

Lisa Heddens is Halloran’s Democratic opponent for District 46. This is her first run for an Iowa House seat, said Jan Bauer, chairwoman of the Story County Democrats.

Halloran is cofounder and CEO of AgriOne, a local business that does Web consulting, marketing and web design for agricultural producers and agribusinesses.

He said the bulk of Iowa’s economy is driven by small businesses and running a small business “keeps you in touch with the needs of other business owners.”

Halloran has lived in Ames for 11 years. He moved to Iowa from Hastings, Neb., where he got his first taste of politics on a local school board.

“It brought me a closer understanding of tax policies and how appropriations for education [work],” he said.

Halloran said the school board was his only political experience before running for the Iowa House in 2000.

He cites his son as an inspiration in running for office.

“In our home we discuss politics very frequently . and my son was a strong influence in my first run for office,” Halloran said.

If elected, Halloran wants to put the focus on education, while reducing state control and management of what he feels are local issues.

“I would promote local control over placement of hog confinements, the same as [a] local community’s role in zoning,” he said.

“Local control is crucial. People in small communities have to live near them. There are already state regulations in place to control pollution.”

Halloran also wants to reduce management in the Human Services department.

He said the purpose of the department is to help those who can’t help themselves, and “we need fewer managers managing managers.”