BUILD THE BARN — Why I'm Running for Senate

"Any jackass can kick down a barn, it takes a carpenter to build one."

The old saying goes: "Any jackass can kick down a barn, it takes a carpenter to build one." Iowans know that carpenters don't build barns alone. A community comes together around a shared vision, with different skills, sharing tools, and working side by side until the job is finished. This is how Iowa has always faced challenges: with skilled leadership and community participation working together, building structures that can weather storms and last for generations.

And in Iowa, we don't just raise barns, we raise our families. We want to give our kids every opportunity we can, and when they're ready to raise our grandkids, we want them right next door, or just down the block, because they also see Iowa as the best place for kids to have community, grow, and succeed. That's what my parents wanted for me, and it’s what my wife Chloe and I want for our son Elijah — even more opportunities than we had growing up.

Why I'm Running

I'm Zach Wahls, and I'm running for the United States Senate, because I’m sick of watching my constituents get screwed over by decisions made in Washington D.C. by politicians like Senator Joni Ernst. Our economy has been rigged by the few at the expense of the many, and we all see it every day: at the grocery store, at the daycare center, at the doctor’s office or pharmacy, and when we pay our rent or our mortgage. Senator Ernst and her colleagues in Washington have failed in their most important duty: to lead our state in solving the problems facing Iowa families. And I'm running because it's time for a new generation of leaders who are ready to get to work and do the job the way it’s supposed to be done.

You may remember me from 2011, when I stood before the Iowa Legislature when I was only 19 years old to defend the freedom to marry for all Iowans, including families like mine with two moms: “We’re Iowans. We don’t expect anyone to solve our problems for us, we’ll fight our own battles, we just hope for equal and fair treatment from our government.”

I didn't speak up because I was unafraid. I spoke up because I had to, because I learned that “a Scout is Brave,” and that it’s important to stand up for what’s right, especially when it’s hard.

On my way to becoming an Eagle Scout, I learned that our actions speak louder than our words, so rather than just making campaign promises about how I'll lead, this campaign will show you how I'll lead as a next generation leader in the U.S. Senate. As a two-term state senator, I've led by example, taking on predatory out-of-state corporations that were exploiting Iowa families living in mobile home parks, fighting to protect some of our most vulnerable neighbors from being gouged by landlords who saw them as easy targets. And I’m not going to stop now. We're rolling up our sleeves and getting to work building a new coalition for Iowa right now, because we can't wait for Senator Ernst to get around to it.

I’m running for the U.S. Senate because it is unacceptable for Iowa to be 48th in income and 49th in GDP while we're number one in rising cancer rates. It’s unacceptable that our rural counties have lost dozens of labor and delivery units and nearly 10% of their primary care physicians. It’s unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of Iowa households and businesses pay hundreds more per year for energy than they need to. And it’s unacceptable that Iowa's public schools have fallen behind Nebraska, Wisconsin — and even Illinois.

And most importantly, I’m running for the U.S. Senate because I know there is nothing wrong with our state that we can't fix. Scripture tells us that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” I’m running because Iowa needs a new vision — not just complaints about what's broken, but a clear blueprint for what is possible when we are able and willing to build together.

Our Vision for Iowa

My vision for Iowa is clear: a state where if you work hard, you can provide for your family and retire with dignity. Where workers have the right to organize and bargain collectively for fair wages, safe working conditions, and good benefits. Where our ag economy is strong and farmers have fair prices. Where healthcare is accessible and affordable. Where our schools are once again the envy of the nation. Where our water and air are clean. Where owning a home is attainable, not impossible. Where starting a family is about how many kids you want, not how many kids you can afford.

This vision isn't radical — to the contrary, it is our birthright as Iowans. But that birthright has been stolen from too many of us. The state our parents and grandparents built together is showing its age, and instead of making repairs, too many politicians like Joni Ernst have watched it weaken as special interests and corporate monopolies and other “economic termites” have eaten away at the foundation of our economy and our state.

Joni Ernst is a perfect example of what happens to politicians who don't have the courage to stand up for what's right. She went to Washington to “make ‘em squeal,” promising to serve only two terms. But twelve years later, what does she have to show besides breaking that promise? We can all see for ourselves that Joni Ernst didn’t change Washington. Washington changed Joni Ernst.

She’s gone from “let’s make ‘em squeal,” to voting for Pete Hegseth and quipping “well, everybody is going to die,” in defense of an indefensible budget bill being pushed by her party leadership. Of course we’re all going to die, but it’s not supposed to be our senators who are killing us. We need a senator who will fight for us, instead of rolling over for the party bosses, no matter who is in charge. I’ve stood up to my own party before, I’ve got the scars to show for it, and I’ll never hesitate to do it again when that’s what Iowa needs. We need a Senator who has the courage to fight for Iowa families, but Joni Ernst is all squeal, no bacon.

The Work Ahead

Let me address the donkey in the room. Many people are frustrated with the Democratic Party, including me. The party I grew up in has been taken in the wrong direction by special interests who create more problems than they solve and who are so out of touch, they have to spend $20M to relearn how to talk to young men.

The hard truth is that far too many Democratic leaders have lost sight of what it takes to win in places like Iowa. They're more concerned with appeasing corporate PACs and ideological activists in safe blue districts rather than with building coalitions that deliver results for middle-class and working families who are barely scraping by. When you are beholden to campaign checks from corporate PACs or represent a safe seat where the biggest threat is a primary challenge from the left, you are pressured to cater to someone other than the Americans you’re supposed to represent. And that leaves those of us fighting in more competitive states like Iowa out to dry.

This is both a generational problem and a structural problem. Too many of today’s Democratic leaders have held onto power for far too long. And because of rampant gerrymandering across our country, the extremes in both parties have too much influence. The status quo isn’t working in Iowa, and it isn’t working for most of America. We need a new generation of leaders who understand that lasting change requires building broad coalitions, not checking ideological boxes. We must recommit ourselves to our core mission of fighting for economic security and civil rights, the twin pillars that built the Democratic Party since the New Deal. That means standing with organized labor, our most important partner in protecting workers' rights and strengthening the middle class that built Iowa, and I’m proud to be the only candidate in this race with a perfect lifetime voting record from the Iowa State Federation of Labor. Nobody ever wants to strike, but I have walked picket lines with Iowa workers fighting for better contracts, and I’ll never hesitate to do it again as a U.S. Senator.

Here's something else Democrats need to understand: politics is about building power, and policy is about solving problems. For decades, we've allowed the federal government to be hamstrung by regulations and bureaucratic processes that make it nearly impossible to actually deliver for the people. When Iowans see a government that can't fix a pothole, can't process veterans benefits efficiently, or can't respond quickly to crises, they lose faith in our government altogether. This broad frustration was a huge part of President Trump's appeal and why he has won Iowa in three straight elections. Most Democrats believe our government can be a force for good — it's why we created Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and passed laws like the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Respect for Marriage Act. But our government has to actually work to earn people's trust. We need leaders willing to reform how the government operates, not just what it does. That's exactly what I've been doing by introducing legislation in Iowa to ban insider trading by elected officials and to implement term limits that are overwhelmingly popular across party lines.

That’s precisely why I won't run a "standard" campaign — our to-do list is far too long. This campaign will bring people together to solve problems. I will be shadowing workers to develop a first-hand understanding of the challenges facing Iowa industry. I will host town halls in all 99 counties to hear about your community's challenges. There will be no problem too big or too small. We are going to build a coalition spanning the political spectrum — Republicans, Independents, and Democrats — ready for leadership focused on addressing Iowa's problems.

Our Values in Action

When I was on my journey to becoming an Eagle Scout, I learned it's our responsibility to leave campsites better than we found them — and that’s true of our state, too. We're building this coalition to solve problems, serve our communities, and leave a better state for our kids.

I've heard from Iowans that our challenges feel overwhelming. When your town's factory announces layoffs, when you can't find affordable childcare, when your grandmother's nursing home cuts staff while raising rates — these aren't just statistics. They're real crises that make ordinary Iowans feel helpless against forces beyond our individual control. But together and with hard work, we can overcome these challenges.

My mom Terry is a fifth-generation Iowa farm girl from Clayton County, where the Wahls family homestead has passed down through five generations. She passed those farm values down to me, the same way I will with my son Elijah. My parents taught me that in Iowa, we don't just complain. We get to work, one problem at a time. They taught me that family comes from the commitment we make to each other to work through the hard times so we can enjoy the good ones. That's what makes a family. Those are Iowa values.

Iowans know that every barn needs a strong foundation. These values are the foundation on which we seek to build this campaign for the U.S. Senate and through which we hope to build a better future for Iowa.

STAND UP FOR HARD-WORKING IOWANS — We have the strength to challenge powerful interests and political insiders — including from our own party — when they leave Iowa families behind. We need a senator who is willing to work as hard as the people he represents. We believe courage is contagious and this is a moment that is asking for courage from all of us.

TRUST — You deserve honest leadership and a government that works for you. We'll work to earn your trust by telling the truth about our challenges and by trusting you with real responsibility for our success.

DELIVER RESULTS — We measure success by whether we're making life better for Iowans, not by whether we've avoided difficult conversations or tough votes. You deserve a Senator who will represent you to our government, instead of representing our government to you. Rebuilding trust in government is best done by deserving that trust.

RESPECT — We meet people where they are, not where we think they should be. We listen instead of waiting for our turn to talk. Every Iowan's voice and experience matters to this campaign. If you want to make our state a better place to call home, you are welcome on this team.

SOLVE PROBLEMS — We focus on practical solutions that improve the lives of Iowans over ideology. We prioritize effectiveness first, and we dig into details to get things right. We roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty, because you deserve a government that works for the many, not the few. If our coalition can help you solve a problem in your community, there is no problem too big or too small.

SERVE TOGETHER — We are building a movement of Iowans committed to improving our state's future. Empowering our fellow Iowans — people like you — to lead and serve in their communities is a core mission of this campaign. Those values remind us that together, we should never feel small, and with hard work, we can accomplish anything. We look out for each other and understand the wisdom of the Scripture that calls us "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.”

These are the values of this campaign, and they are the values that bring us together — when we come together to save a rural hospital, to help a neighbor through a crisis, or to rebuild after a flood, we remember who we really are. I've seen this firsthand — filling sandbags as the floodwaters rose in 2008, chainsawing debris after the derecho hit in 2020 — and you probably have, too.

In moments like these, we are guided by hope. Not hope as wishful thinking, but hope as a choice — the choice to believe that tomorrow can be better than today if we're willing to do the work. And in moments like these, we are saved by grace — grace for our neighbors who see and experience the world differently, grace for ourselves when we fall short, and grace for the long, hard work of building something better together.

And most importantly, in moments like these, we remember that what unites us as Iowans is far stronger than what divides us.

This is the promise I am making with this campaign, and it is the promise I will keep in the U.S. Senate. Iowans deserve leaders who keep their promises. Our state needs new leadership, and I am asking for your vote and your participation in this campaign so we can build this new foundation together.

Join Us

The "Build the Barn" ethos embodies this campaign’s approach to leadership, and how I will lead in this state as your next U.S. Senator. As I launch this campaign, I'm not asking what Iowa can do for us — I'm asking what we can do for Iowa.

The American Dream isn't a promise — it's a challenge. It challenges us to work hard, look out for our neighbors, and build something better for the next generation. The Dream challenges us to believe that through our collective effort, we can create opportunities that didn't exist before. That's what our parents and grandparents did when they built the Iowa we inherited. Now it's our turn to accept that challenge and pay it forward for the next generation.

When you build the barn right, it can weather storms and last for generations. It's hard work, but it's worth doing, because we all know people who have left our state because our current leaders are failing us. We won’t accept that failure. We can't accept that failure. We must instead embrace the work of building something better.

I'm asking for your vote, and more importantly, I'm asking you to pick up a hammer and join this barn-raising. Sign up to volunteer at www.zachwahls.com — host a house party in your community. Talk to your neighbors about the Iowa we're building together. This coalition isn't just about politics. It's about building a state strong enough to weather any storm, with foundations deep enough to support our hopes, our dreams, and our children's futures for generations to come.

Let's build it together.

ZW