Phil Lubbers: Getting to Know More About Candidates, Iowa

Between December 2019 and January 2020 (just weeks before the pandemic), Smithsonian staff and their storytelling partners at the Peale, Baltimore, traveled to multiple states in the U.S. to ask residents of those states about voting experiences, the current state of American democracy, what issues brought them to the polls, how they made a difference in their communities, and what Americans' civic responsibilities were, among other complex questions.

Phil Lubbers (00:00): Well, as I said, we were very much involved in the community. We are conservative Republicans in our community, and we usually go to the meetings.

(00:11): In fact, about a month ago, we had the county meeting where we have quite a race right now for the congressman from the sixth district, which is Steve King, and he's having three opponents in the primary election.

(00:27): So, we went to the Republican dinner in our county and all four candidates were there to speak, which I thought was very interesting. This way we can kind of find out what each of them really stands for, and we've always been a real proponent of one of the candidates.

(00:44): In fact, we've given money for that person to make it, and it's just been very interesting to listen, when we go to vote, I want to go and vote and be intelligent there and not just, well, that's a name and I've heard about, and he lives in the closest town where we live. I mean, I don't go for that. I wanted to hear what each of them had to say and then make the vote about what I think means the most in my life.

Asset ID: 2023.03.03.a-b
Themes: Participation, Voting, Political Parties, Political Process, Republican Party
Date recorded: October 16, 2019
Length of recording: 0:01:13
Related traveling exhibition: Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
Sponsor or affiliated organization: Main Street Iowa - Iowa Economic Development Authority
More information or related assets: https://www.thegazette.com/community/smithsonian-exhibit-launches-midwest-tour-of-voices-and-votes-democracy-in-america-in-cedar-rapid/