Ask Charles Connolly why Iowans in the 3rd District should vote for him in November, and he’ll tell you, “If you want reform, you’ve got to vote reform.”

Connolly, a retired Iowa State professor of telecommunicative arts, is running for U.S. Congress on the Reform Party ticket, one of three recognized parties in the state of Iowa.

The Reform Party was not actually founded until 1996; however, it began back in 1992 with Ross Perot’s presidential campaign.

Connolly said the Reform Party strives for the highest ethical standards and opposes the current corrupt system, in which presidents, senators and representatives are bought and paid for by private interest groups.

“I don’t accept any money from political action committees or interest groups. I don’t have any special interests,” he said. “My interest is in the people of Iowa. I want my grandkids to have the same things that I had.”

Connolly is running a very low-budget campaign at about $500.

He is not using yard signs, billboards or advertisements. Instead, Connolly is relying on a word-of-mouth campaign.

Connolly is asking people who support him to tell 10 friends, who in turn tell 10 friends, and so on.

The reduction of campaign costs is one of several issues he feels needs attention in the upcoming legislative term.

Connolly wants a requirement that representatives and senators must raise all of their campaign money in their own districts.

He also calls for term limits for representatives and senators of three and two years, respectively.

In addition, Connolly wants to replace the electoral college with a system that would make every citizen’s vote count.

This reform, he said, should spill over into Medicare, Medicaid, lobbying restrictions and the tax system.

“We need to lower taxes to attract businesses in order to keep our kids here,” he said.

He also thinks a forgivable loan would keep Iowa’s college graduates in Iowa after graduation.

A self-professed big supporter of education, Connolly said he understands what it is like to be a college student.

He said he wants to keep tuition costs low and have education decisions made locally by closing down the federal Department of Education.

Connolly questions the Board of Regent’s recent tuition increase.

He said there is a very large administration at ISU, and the university may need to consider down-sizing like many businesses in order to cut costs rather than raising tuition year after year.

Besides education in schools, Connolly said education is also important in our justice system.

“If you can increase the education level of a prison inmate by two years while they are in jail, the chance of them going back in drops to 10 percent,” he said. “Currently in Iowa, the number is 85 percent.”