There is a contested race for the redistricted Greene, Guthrie and northwestern portion of Dallas County for the Iowa House.

Democrat Gary Overla is a southwestern Ohio native. After he graduated high school in 1983, he earned a bachelor’s degree in science from McPherson College in Kansas, where he met his eventual wife and moved to Iowa to be with her and her family when she transferred from McPherson to Iowa State University. Overla then earned his master’s degree in arts and teaching from Drake University. Following a brief four year stint teaching at a reform school in Kansas, he then came back to Iowa and has been teaching at Perry High School since 1998. 

Overla is pro-life as a moderate Democrat, but is against outright banning of abortion.

“I don’t support abortions as a means of birth control or social engineering. However, I firmly believe that a woman’s right to choose an abortion is a conversation and/or decision that should be made between that woman and her health provider. This decision is a personal matter not a political one, in my opinion. Therefore, I don’t believe I have anything to add to the conversation and I don’t need to be a part of it, nor do any legislators, in my opinion.”      

Overla is also against allowing public funds to be used in private schools because private schools can deny students and don’t have to adhere to the same standards as public schools. He also wants to address better access to emergency services in rural communities. He talks about why he is running for the Iowa House.

“I feel like my life experiences and my career have actually led me to this position. I want Iowa to thrive and to prosper and I want to be a part of that in a larger sense. I feel that I have the communication skills, the life experiences of being an employee, a father, a teacher, a coach, a volunteer, and a community member that strengthen my candidacy as a representative.” 

Overla is running against Republican candidate Carter Nordman.