Community Conversations With Eli

10/10/2026

Anyone out there wondering what you can do during this election cycle? Well, here's something that just about anyone can do. 🙂

Literature drops!

Every Saturday and Sunday from now through November 3rd we will be doing literature drops out of our office at 123 Main Street.

We'll get you your packet, will get you started, and we'll get all of your questions answered!

Let's Do this!

10/01/2026

That’s an impressive number of town halls.

When Rob Sand says he wants to be the Governor for All, his actions back up those words. He’s showing up, listening, and having real conversations with Iowans in communities across our state. His 200-town-hall tour is another example of that commitment.

Iowa needs a change in direction after a decade of policies that have left us facing some serious challenges:

💥Personal income growth: 48th in the nation
💥Education: 27th nationally
💥Cancer Rate 2nd-highest in the country
💥Brain drain: 7th in the nation

These numbers should make us stop and ask: Can we do better?

The answer is yes.

Leadership starts with showing up, listening, bringing people together, and being willing to tackle the problems that affect all Iowans.

Rob Sand can and will do better.

Iowa House Democrats Iowa Senate Democrats ISEA Dubuque County Democrats

Rob Sand’s final town hall of the campaign 🇺🇸

This man held 100 town halls across all of Iowa’s 99 counties TWICE in 18 months. That’s 200 public town halls.

Rob has shown up everywhere. Offering to be a governor for everyone. In 34 days, Iowans have the opportunity to turn the page on an era of failed, single-party rule and build the future we deserve.

Let’s GO IOWA!!! 🗳️

09/29/2026

This is absolutely sobering. As a father, a son, and as a person....we should all be locking arms to reduce these rates.

09/21/2026

09/16/2026

I attended the Data Center Forum in Dubuque last night, and the turnout was pretty incredible.

Not just from the audience — ALL of the invited candidates for County Supervisor and County Attorney showed up as the pictures reflect.

*Only 1 missing is County Attorney Scott Nelson who arrived after I took the picture.*

I appreciated that. A lot.

And honestly, it’s remarkable because here in Eastern Iowa, we’ve gotten pretty accustomed to our elected Republican representatives not participating in Community Conversations with the People.

Constituents — We the People — deserve better than that.

We deserve elected officials who will show up, listen, answer tough questions, and have the hard conversations and not just communicate through negative ads and social media.

If you’re elected to represent us, respect us enough to show up.

Every Time.

Iowa Senate Democrats Iowa House Democrats ISEA Dubuque Education Association Dubuque County Democrats

09/14/2026

09/11/2026

It was an ordinary day.

I was standing in front of a Coke machine inside a Casey’s General Store, probably thinking about something completely insignificant, when the world changed.

At first, it was just one plane.

One plane? How does that happen?

Then came the second.

Two planes? Oh no.

And suddenly, that Coke machine, that Casey’s, that ordinary September morning… none of it felt ordinary anymore.

We all have our own story from that day.

Where we were. Who we were with. What we were doing when we realized something terrible was happening.

The shock. The horror. The sadness. The fear. The anger.

Raw. Guttural. Soul-stopping.

But then came September 12th. September 13th. September 14th. September 15th…

And for a little while, I saw something I haven't seen enough since.

I saw our Nation come together.

Not because we suddenly agreed on everything. Not because our differences disappeared.

But because, for a moment, we remembered what mattered more.

Our neighbors. Our communities. Our country. Each other.

The flags came out. We checked on one another. We hugged a little tighter. We thanked the people who ran toward the danger.

The things that usually separated us seemed a little less important.

We were hurting together. We were grieving together. We were helping one another.

We were just Americans.

There was compassion. There was resolve. There was a willingness to stand beside someone simply because they were our fellow American.

Raw. Guttural.

But this time, soul-filling.

Twenty-five years later, I find myself wishing we could hold onto a little more of what we found in those days.

Not that we agree on everything.

We never have.

But that we remember how much we have in common.

That we can disagree and still care about one another.

That our differences don't have to keep us from being good neighbors.

I hope we remember what those days after September 11th taught us:

That we are stronger when we stand together.

That compassion is not weakness.

That kindness matters.

And that sometimes, the most patriotic thing we can do is simply look at the person beside us and remember…

We're neighbors.

We're Americans.

And we're better when we act like it.

9/11 — Never Forget.

09/07/2026

Today, take a minute to thank a working person.

Call your mom or dad. Send a quick thank-you to a teacher. Leave a little extra for the server at your favorite local diner.

Nothing fancy. Just a simple “I appreciate what you do.”

Labor Day is about the folks who get up every morning, go to work, and keep our communities moving. The teachers, nurses, factory workers, farmers, servers, construction workers, small-business owners, and everybody in between.

So today, let’s celebrate the people who work hard with a little gratitude.

Sometimes, a simple thank-you means more than we realize.

Happy Labor Day!

Labor Day 2026 falls on Monday, September 1. Plan your long weekend: travel ideas, grilling, sales, and best-day picks from the Farmers' Almanac.