MEET THE CANDIDATE: Casey Schotter
A lifelong resident of Waterloo and of Black Hawk County's newly drawn District 5, Casey Schotter brings discipline, education, and a record of service to his campaign for a seat on the county Board of Supervisors. After graduating from West High School in 2003, Casey volunteered for the U.S. Army and completed two tours of combat duty in Iraq, providing counter-fire support and up-armored infantry escorts for Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams and rising to the position of Staff Sergeant in the process. Upon conclusion of his military tours, Casey returned home and completed an associate's degree in small business management, a bachelor's degree in criminology, and a Master's in sociology. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in sociology while he works as an Instructor of Criminology at the University of Northern Iowa.
Casey credits his military experience for the commitment to ethics, discipline and service that he hopes to bring to the Board of Supervisors. While he does not describe himself as a natural leader, his military record shows a steady rise to positions of increasing responsibility culminating in his promotion to Staff Sergeant. These personal qualities he believes will be especially needed as the supervisors adjust to the newly mandated system of district representation throughout Black Hawk County. He is a strong believer in local government's role in maintaining infrastructure, safeguarding public health, and supporting public growth.
As a student himself and as a teacher, Casey emphasizes the necessity of empowering younger generations, Millennials and Generation Z, to engage in local politics and to develop leadership capabilities of their own. In this effort he leads by example, being a first time candidate for public office. He is an energetic campaigner, equally at home in public and on social media.
CANDIDATE PLATFORM: Casey Schotter
Casey Schotter's campaign for the District 5 seat on the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors focuses on six separate issues he believes are vital for the county's overall health: infrastructure, water quality, community growth, fiscal responsibility, support for law enforcement, and bringing young people into the process of government.
Infrastructure investment is the top priority of his campaign, for he believes that reliable roads, utilities, and public facilities together are the foundation for anything else the county hopes to accomplish. Right now, Casey argues, Black Hawk County's population trend is stagnant, at risk of falling into irrelevance in the state. He says the county needs to diversify its economic investment portfolio in ways that benefit local labor while appealing to younger, greener families and keeping public tax dollars in house.
And clean water in sufficient quantity is necessary for agriculture, for public health, and for community growth; the need is particularly critical given Iowa's overall water quality challenges. Well maintained sewage systems, adequate water treatment facilities, and ancillary barriers to contamination are vital for community health. Casey argues Black Hawk County should be on the frontlines pushing the state legislature to deal with the continuing water crisis keeping residents from fully enjoying the area's natural waterways, parks and recreation areas, and, too often, even their own homes.
Responsible management of county fiscal resources is crucial and will become even more so in the future given the state legislature's recent closure of local revenue streams. Casey argues that county residents deserve supervisors who treat public money with the same care they bring to their own household budgets; one thing this means is smart, planned community growth based on focused opportunities and servant leadership.
Finally, if community health is going to be maintained and enhanced, two groups within the community must be supported wholeheartedly: law enforcement and young people. Casey's own military background has taught him the value of disciplined order, and his experience both as student and as teacher has taught him that younger generations must be given their opportunities to influence the world they must inherit, or they will abandon it.
CASEY SCHOTTER & BENEFIT TO BLACK HAWK COUNTY
Casey Schotter's campaign for the District 5 supervisor seat brings a veteran's perspective and a focus on generational engagement to Black Hawk County's first district-based supervisor election.
His military background gives Democrats a candidate whose commitment to service and to ethics carries a level of credibility that can resonate across the political spectrum, including in areas where Democrats do not have a natural advantage. Further, his rise through military ranks from private soldier to Staff Sergeant speaks well of his capacity for leadership as well as for consensus building.
Casey's explicit focus on engaging Millennial and Gen Z voters guarantees an energy all too often lacking across the political spectrum as young people increasingly reject yesterday's politics. In Casey, Democrats have a youthful candidate who speaks with earned authority and understands from experience the sacrifices necessary for the execution of ethical public service. A candidate who can inspire young voters and bring them into the Party because he is one of them.
Casey's campaign runs alongside fellow Democratic candidates Will Overstreet, Kamyar Enshayan, Tavis Hall, and Bill Dotzler, forming a complete Democratic slate across the county's newly drawn five districts. His race, and especially his emphasis on younger voters, contributes to the Party's broader organizing push during an election cycle which features highly competitive races at the statewide and federal levels: Rob Sand for governor, Josh Turek for Senate, and Lindsay James for U.S. House of Representatives.
