A Rippey native has thrown his hat into the political ring, as a candidate for the Iowa Statehouse.

Democratic candidate David Weaver is running to be the District 47 Representative. The 48-year-old grew up on a farm in the Rippey area and is a 1988 East Greene High School graduate. He received a bachelor’s degree from Central College in Pella and also spent time studying abroad in London and Wales. He was then an English teacher in Japan from 1992-94. He earned his master’s degree in library sciences from the University of Iowa. He then worked for four years as a librarian at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. While working there, he met his wife Emily. They moved to Westside, where his wife worked at the Denison Library. The couple then moved to Perry, where his wife got the job as library director. David has been working on his family farm for three-and-a-half-years.

David talks about why he is running for state representative.

“Last year when I was listening to things going on at the Iowa Statehouse (like) collective bargaining for the teachers (and) the ‘Stand Your Ground’ for guns, just on and on and on. That didn’t feel like the Iowa that I grew up in. I just decided that I’ve got the means and the timing is right. I wish my daughter was a little bit older, but on the other hand, I want my daughter to grow up in the Iowa that I knew. And so I want to get back to the Iowa that I knew.”

He says he wants to be an advocate for access to quality health care and improve public education.

The District 47 seat is currently held by Republican Chip Baltimore from Boone. David and Emily Weaver have one daughter who attends kindergarten in the Ogden School District.