Tyler Stewart, a candidate for Iowa State Senate District 11, was a part of Christina Bohannan’s multi-country tour this week. Stewart spoke with KNIA/KRLS News on why he is running for State Senate.

“I am running because, as a public educator, I have realized over the past couple of years that public school teachers have not been given a fair shake. We have been villainized, taxed, and we’ve had our collective bargaining taken away. Public schools are struggling. I’ve sat on our budget committees and have been told four percent is what we need to stay afloat, but we don’t get four percent, we get one or two percent and we have a past due balance owed from the state at this point. We have schools struggling to stay afloat. I am running because I am tired of being attacked and giving every ounce of my being coaching sports, and running extracurricular activities to just being told I am the enemy and need to be put in jail. I feel we need to restore some faith in the public education system.”

Bohannan’s tour had stops in Marion, Warren, Jasper, and Mahaska County this week.