Sweeney, Freese face off for the second time in seven months

(Editor’s note: This is the second installment in a two-part series about the local state legislature candidates and their political positions. The election is set for November 6.)

AREA- Does this whole routine feel familiar? The sudden resignation of former State Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix (R-Shell Rock) in March left an open seat in district 25—which covers southern Butler County, northern and eastern Story County, and all of Grundy and Hardin Counties—that has since been filled by Annette Sweeney of rural Buckeye, a farmer, former State Representative and former United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Director of Rural Development in Iowa.

Sweeney defeated Democrat Tracy Freese of Dike, a small business owner and former banker who had announced plans to run eight months prior to Dix’s ouster.

After winning the special election with about 56 percent of the votes cast on April 10, Sweeney served out the remainder of Dix’s term, and she’ll now seek a full four years if she can best Freese for the second time in seven months in a district that traditionally leans strongly Republican.

Ahead of the November 6 election, Freese and Sweeney took time to answer a host of questions on a variety of topics submitted by Eclipse News-Review, and their responses are in this week's edition.

For the full story, see this week’s Eclipse News-Review. Subscribe by calling 319-346-1461 or by clicking here.