Austin Stubbs
RepublicanQ1 Iowa currently has the nation’s second-highest cancer rate and is one of only a few states where the cancer rate is increasing. What policies, if any, would you support regarding this issue?
Iowa’s cancer rates are unacceptable, and we need to get to the bottom of what is driving them. We should prioritize prevention, transparency, and accountability rather than accepting the status quo.
I support rigorous research into potential contributors, including environmental exposures, pesticides, water quality, food ingredients, and lifestyle factors. We should improve access to early detection, increase transparency about substances in our food and water, and investigate potential links between environmental exposures and chronic disease.
We should follow the evidence, without giving special treatment to politically connected industries. Our goal should be to identify the causes, protect Iowa families, and Make Iowa Healthy Again.
Keywords: MAKE IOWA HEALTHY AGAIN
Q2 Iowa’s universities receive roughly $350 million annually in federal research funding. NIH funding for research at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University fell by over $125 million from FY2024 to FY2025. What is your view on these funding reductions, and what policies, if any, would you support regarding funding for scientific research conducted in Iowa?
I support responsible federal investment in scientific research, particularly research that improves public health, advances medical treatments, and strengthens American agriculture. Iowa’s universities are important assets, and taxpayer dollars should produce meaningful results.
Federal research funding should be evaluated on scientific merit, transparency, cost-effectiveness, and public benefit. I support eliminating waste and unnecessary administrative overhead, but I am concerned about indiscriminate cuts that undermine promising medical research or our ability to understand chronic disease.
We should demand accountability for every taxpayer dollar while continuing to invest in high-quality research that benefits Iowans and strengthens America’s scientific competitiveness.
Keywords: MAKE IOWA HEALTHY AGAIN
Q3 Scientific evidence is generated through the systematic testing and evaluation of ideas. It provides knowledge that helps us understand the world and predict the likely consequences of different choices, such as policy making related to public health, energy, agriculture, and environmental regulation. What role, if any, should scientific evidence and expert input play in your policymaking process, and how would you evaluate competing or uncertain scientific claims when making policy decisions? What role, if any, should that process play when scientific consensus and public opinion diverge?
Scientific evidence and expert input should inform policymaking, but they should not replace elected representatives, individual liberty, or the will of the people.
I would evaluate research based on its quality, transparency, potential conflicts of interest, and independent validation. No government agency, industry, or research institution should be above scrutiny.
When scientific consensus and public opinion diverge, policymakers should explain the evidence and tradeoffs honestly while listening to the people affected. Scientific consensus alone should never justify overriding constitutional rights, parental authority, informed consent, or personal freedom.
My approach is simple: follow the evidence, challenge entrenched interests, and put the health and freedom of Iowans first.
Keywords: MAKE IOWA HEALTHY AGAIN