I Endorse Janice Weiner (D) to Replace Sen. Bob Dvorsky (D)

Caption: Janice Weiner, Princeton grad, former international diplomat, and the most experienced Democratic candidate running to replace Sen. Bob Dvorsky (D-District 37, IA).

At the meet-and-greet get-together January 4, 2018 to support Democratic women senators and women candidates, I had a chance to speak very briefly with 26-year-old Zach Wahls, who, after I accosted him, stopped just long enough after entering the room to ask if I could vote for him before moving on. He was intense, a man in a hurry, and very focused on potential voters, not people who wanted to meet him. I was disappointed, because I'd followed his story, bought a pack of his woman cards, and admired his courage in speaking truth to power at the Iowa legislature.

I expressed my disappointment with Zach to Sue Dvorsky, who relayed my feelings to Zach Wahls. He apologized by text and thanked me for the feedback, but I couldn't help but feel that he's just too young and inexperienced for the job of senator. He's only 26; he has plenty of time to develop the skills he needs.

I spoke more at length with Janice Weiner, who was kind enough to answer my questions, including whether I could vote for her. She explained to me that mostly western and northern Iowa City, Coralville, and Solon voters could vote for her or Zach.

You can tell that Janice Weiner is a former diplomat, because she doesn't do shake-downs when meeting potential voters. She speaks thoughtfully, considerately, and is well informed. I think her civil, thoughtful manner would be a great improvement over the arrogance of most Johnson County Democrats.

I'll never forget the time Rep. Mary Mascher (D-District 87) invited me to lunch just so she could criticize and make fun of my opinions. Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan is intolerably rude. I once objected to him appointing himself chair of a diversity committee that I'd been invited to serve on. After Kingsley Botchway abandoned his post as chair after he got a job with the Iowa City Community School District, Rod Sullivan appointed himself as chair.

I objected to Rod appointing himself chair without a vote, but he refused to hold one at the committee meeting. He said, "we'll vote by email." No one but me objected. The administrative secretary of the committee seemed astonished and disapproving that I would insist on an in-person vote. I never got an email to vote for or against him, and I was never invited back to the committee either. Rod is not a Democrat, at least not a democrat with a small d.

We need a diplomat representing at least part of Johnson County. Were she to be elected, Janice Weiner would probably be the only diplomat Johnson County has. We desperately need more, or at least one.