“Your voice matters. I’m listening.”
“Our community schools are the foundation for everything we do, and we must find ways to support and strengthen them, not tear them down.”
Contact us!
Click HERE to contact Spencer about his campaign!
Meet Spencer!
Spencer is a husband, father of two daughters enrolled in college, an experienced educator and he is running for the Iowa House right here in District 21. He has been married to his wife Sinikka for 25 years. She runs a small business based in Indianola that is in its 16th year of operation. Spencer moved to Iowa from the Black Hills in 1994 to attend Central College, and made Iowa his forever home. They have long been active in the faith community in Indianola, and they attend Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.
He began teaching high school in Indianola in 1998, was recognized as Indianola’s 2008 Educator of the Year. As the Debate Coach, he led the IHS students to back-to-back state championships in 2009 and 2010 with a peak enrollment of 75 students on the high school debate team. He attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln to earn his MA.
Spencer began helping to build Simpson’s Debate Team with four students in 2011 while also teaching at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines. He served as the Director of Speech, Debate & Mock Trial starting in 2013 at Simpson as a full-time faculty member. Under Spencer’s leadership, the Simpson College Debate Team grew to 70+ members and claimed National Championships in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, & 2023.
Returning to his commitment to education, Spencer now works with undecided students at Simpson College as they choose their major, and he supervises high school student teachers during their final semester before entering the classroom as educators.
When Spencer is not at work, you may find him driving his ’66 Mustang, or asking his friends to help work on it, and spending time with his family. He looks forward to listening to your needs and concerns so that he can best represent your voice in the Iowa House.
Get Involved!
Join Spencer for the Listening Tour!
Spencer is proud to have Republican, Independent, and Democrat voices on his campaign leadership team. “Our current legislature lacks leaders who listen to their constituents. Everybody in District 21 deserves to have their voices heard. Please give me a chance to listen to you so that your concerns can be transformed into real action. I look forward to hearing from you.”
The Listening Tour is about YOU, the voter. What is on your mind? Spencer wants to hear your concerns and hopes for Iowa’s future.
Click HERE to host a Listening Tour stop, and invite friends and neighbors to your living room for an opportunity to share your ideas with Spencer.
Click HERE to see other stops on the Listening Tour to attend!
The Issues
Education
We must strive to be the national model of excellence in education. When I started training to be a teacher in 1994 in Marion county, Iowa took pride in having one of the best education systems in the nation. This is why I stayed in Iowa to raise my family, and why I chose to teach here. It is time to look forward and work together to be great again! Our communities, our kids, and our state deserve better.
Individual Liberties
We must stop the erosion of individual rights, which means we need to protect personal rights of all, not just a select few. Our state has lost a sense of community we once had, and I believe most Iowans miss that. In the Iowa House, I will work to protect the rights, freedom, and liberties of all our neighbors. After all, Iowa’s slogan is “Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.”
Mental
Health
We must increase access to mental healthcare, especially in rural areas. While mental healthcare funding and access have only decreased over the years, the stresses of life have increased. Iowans need help and we need to start taking that seriously. We need to invest in mental healthcare across the state, but especially right here in HD 21.
The District
