Editor’s note: A previous version of this article had said six Democrats are running for State Senator. The article has been updated to include the correct amount of Democrats. The Daily regrets this error.

There are two candidates running for State Senator for District 24, the primary on June 2 will determine who is the Democratic candidate and who is the Republican candidate running for election in November. 

The Democratic candidates are Cynthia Paschen and Keith Puntenney. The Republican candidates are Todd Rasmussen, Joshua Dyer, Jesse Green and Chad Behn. 

District 24 includes Boone, Greene, Hamilton, Story and Webster Counties.

The State Senator for District 24 is currently held by Republican Sen. Jerry Behn, who is serving his sixth term. Behn announced his plans earlier this year to retire from the Iowa Senate. 

Paschen has volunteered with Mary Greeley Hospice since 1998. Important issues for Paschen are health care, education and bringing new jobs to Iowa.  

Puntenney first ran for State Senator in 2016 against Jerry Behn and lost. Key issues for Puntenny are the protection of farming, education and jobs, along with advocating for business tax credit reform.

Rasmussen is the Co-Chair of the Boone County GOP Central Committee.  

“I will lead and stand firm on my strong Conservative-Christian beliefs,” Rasmussen said on the Boone County Republicans website. 

Green is a fifth-generation Iowan. Green is a member of the Webster County Farm Bureau Board and was elected to the Dayton Rodeo and Celebration Committee and became the youngest chairman of Dayton Rodeo. 

Key issues Dyer believes in are defending Iowans’ gun rights, supporting pro-life, education and health care. 

“The reason I am running is the same reason I went into education, I want to make a difference, and serving in the legislature puts me in a position to do so,” Dyer said on Boone County Republicans website.    

Chad Behn was elected in 2016 as the Boone County Supervisor. An important issue for Behn is the tax structure.  

“I am running to keep improving the tax structure as a whole at the State level,” Chad Behn said on the Boone County Republicans website.