With Ames elections coming up this November, candidates have begun announcing their bid to run for public office positions. We spoke to three people running for three different positions.

John Haila announced his decision to run for Ames Mayor, a position held by Ann Campbell for nearly 12 years. Haila, a consultant to the company he founded 31 years ago, Haila Architecture, Structure and Planning, has always noted the benefits of being involved in one’s community and in following in his own beliefs.

Haila never thought he would seek a public office position during his lifetime, in fact, he had not even aspired to own his own company. After graduating from Iowa State with a bachelor’s in architecture in 1976, Haila worked in an architecture firm that offered to allow him to purchase the right to access client information and records without purchasing the actual company. 

 “That’s when I decided to start my own architectural engineering practice. I had never really envisioned that I would own my own company, but it (was) a great opportunity,” Haila recalls. “I had been mentored by two gentlemen for nine years and they provided me with a great foundation to build a company. It’s funny, because you don’t necessary go through school and know where your future might go.”

Through his work with his architecture firm, Haila managed to stay connected to the Ames’ community, but it was his work with the Campustown Action Association, an organization that seeks to renovate the area of the same name, that inspired Haila to pursue a new career path.

“I think we all have our own responsibility to not only be leaders in the community, but to give back to our community. I had a strong passion to be engaged in Ames and help make it more robust and vital as a community,” Haila said. “As I got involved with Campustown Action Association, and sat on the board and (served as) the president, I was able to have positive interactions with both city council members, administrators (as well as with) Iowa State (students and faculty).”

Although this is his first time running a campaign, Haila’s interactions with “a wide, variety of people who were very passionate about Campustown and the community at-large” and his professional experience with his own firm and with the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Transportation, have helped him build a platform that encourages diversity and facilitate new property developments.

Ames’ residences have voiced concerns about new property development companies renting spaces that are usually reserved for low- and moderate-income, single families to college students. However, the Council has also been forced to address the issue that stems from Iowa State’s growing population and the intense need for adequate student housing. Haila believes that with his guidance and communication skill, residences can find balance.

“There’s many things that we need to work together on as a community and this is one of them,” Haila said. “My approach would be to get people around the table to discuss, divulge and explore what the different challenges are and rely on the many studies that have been done.”

Haila’s approach would also look at different policies and options that the city has explored or has available. He believes that if residents are willing to work together and collaborate, they can solve the issues concerning property development. 

“Sometimes you get ‘analysis-paralysis’ where you will not come to an actual decision,” Haila said. “But if we allow ourselves to convene, listen and engage one another, we can get through that these things and that is what I would look forward to.”

Haila is the second candidate to announce his campaign for mayor. 

Victoria Szopinski, a former city council member, also announced her candidacy. “I’m running for Mayor because I believe in this community, because I believe in the people of this community, because I believe in Local Government, and because I believe we share values and hopes for the future of our community,” according to Szopinski’s Facebook page.

Monic Behnken, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology, believes that her platform that promotes a diverse community, an honest and clear dialogue between community members and their needs and the use of evidence and research-based data to address these concerns will help implement the many changes she hopes for as an Ames Community School Board Council member.

Growing up in Houston, Texas, Behnken had always engaged in politics, but also had not envisioned a public office career in her future. While Behnken holds a juris doctorate and is a licensed attorney, she also has a doctorate in philosophy and has spent years researching the connection between individuals who have psychiatric disorders and their experiences if or when they encounter the legal system.

“There are many reason for why people become involved with the legal system, but just as with many things in society, we see very racialized explanations,” Behnken said. “What we find is racial and ethnic disproportionality in the criminal justice system as we (also uncover) disproportionate representations of people who may have psychiatric disorders, special learning needs or (grew) up in poverty. What we see is that society is not meeting (these people’s) needs in certain ways.”

Although, Behnken’s research is helping to find better solutions for those who face psychiatric disorders as well as existing racial and ethnic pressures, it was not the sole reason she chose to run for a seat on the school board.

Behnken’s admirations for the U.S. Constitution and law, as well as her years of active political participation, have led her to believe that if she wanted to see changes and a better future for her own children, she had to make it. 

According to the 2016 Iowa School Report Card, Ames Community Middle School holds one of the highest achievement gaps in the district with more than 39 percentage points between minority and white students. However, achievement gaps do not only affect students of color. Students who have special learning needs are tremendously affected as well. 

Behnken believes that her addition to the school board could bolster attention to the issue and help implement her platform of “diversity, dialogue and data” to fix the achievement gap. 

“(After) this last election cycle, (I believe that) I am seeing disrespect (towards) politics, the devaluing of the law and the Constitution and the devaluing of people of colors’ voices. (For this reason), I felt compelled to do what I could (in order) to make sure that I wouldn’t leave the system (unchanged) for (my children),” Behnken said.

Three at-large seats are available on the school board. Behnken, Jamet Colton and Gina Perez have all announced their candidacy, according to the Ames Tribune.

David Martin is running to represent Ward Three on the Ames City Council, a seat that was recently vacated last winter after two-terms by Peter Orazem. Martin’s personal life experiences and his many travels from California to Germany, have influenced his platform to increase the quality of life through environmental protection, inclusivity, and better access to internet connectivity in the Ames area.

Martin, who grew up in the Ames and attended Ames High School, felt that this past election and the new administration did not embody his values. 

“(Last fall), I saw this election turn out in a way that was very different than what I thought it would be. And ever since then, there’s been this deepening conviction that people need to get more involved in public life if they want to see changes (and) becoming an Ames City Council member is my way of getting involved,” Martin said.

After he received his high school diploma, Martin moved to Berkley, California, to work for small, start-up firms. However, after consulting with his father, he decided to move back to Iowa and obtained a bachelor’s in computer science in 1993.

Unbeknownst to Martin, it was during his time at Iowa State that his decision to study abroad in Germany for a summer would influence his campaign platform nearly 25 years later.

Noting his experiences abroad, Martin believes that Iowa should be a leader in environmental protection and water conservation efforts with Ames leading by example. 

“In the last 80s, when I was in Germany, they were a lot more dialed into the impact they were having on the environment than Americans at that time. Being there and seeing that was definitely eye-opening,” Martin said.

Martin also believes that as a city council member, he could help create more stability and uniformity from cable and internet providers to Ames’ residences. Due to a lack of competition between companies and unsteady service in the past, many residences have expressed concerns to city council.

Although the issue continues to plague residences, Martin, who owns a “consulting business specializing in software issues that arise in intellectual property litigation” believes that his background in computer science would be an informative benefit to address the issue.

“It’s pretty obvious to most people that the internet is increasing in importance. It’s a phenomenally important communication medium. My concern is that there are many dead spots in Ames and I think people expect better, they want better and in the long run, they should get better,” Martin said. “I’m familiar with the technology and the development of policy and I hope to be helpful when (these) issues come up.”

Other seats on city council up for re-election are Ward 1 held by Gloria Betcher and an at-large seat held by Amber Corrieri. Rob Bowers, an alum and veteran of the Iowa State Police Department, is also running for Ward 3, according to the Ames Tribune.

The Story County school elections have been scheduled for Sept. 12, 2017, while voting polls for the city election will open on Nov. 7, 2017.