Mandy Newton Rosenow

Mandy Newton Rosenow earned a high school diploma from Sioux City North High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1998, and a graduate degree from Des Moines University in 2004.

Her career experience includes working as a physician assistant.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a proud 5th generation Iowan, born and raised in Sioux City, the daughter of a retired firefighter and nurse. I graduated from public schools, the University of Iowa, and then earned my degree as a Physician Assistant at Des Moines University.

I met my husband Justin at the University of Iowa and traveled with him around the country as he served in the US Navy and Marines, including a deployment to Iraq. At private hospitals and military hospitals, I have worked in family practice, emergency medicine, neurology and most recently in community medicine where my heart is happiest.

We are parents to 2 wonderful kids and a sweet dog, and I have been a regular volunteer at their school and on their sidelines for the last 8 years. I have witnessed the dedication of our teachers and staff and want to work bring our schools better support and resources.

I want Iowa to be a place where people are excited to raise their families and start their businesses. Iowans are warm and welcoming, but our current policies do not show that. We care deeply for each other and our communities and need leaders that make that easier.

I love people, and I love problem solving. When I am working, each patient brings a story and concerns, allowing for new opportunities to work together to find solutions. In the legislature, I will use these experiences to work with people of any party to solve problems; we don’t need Democrat or Republican solutions, we need Iowa solutions.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

We need to address our water quality and cancer rates, issues which go hand in hand. We need to improve water monitoring systems so we can identify problem areas and address promptly. It is critical that we work with farmers and other chemical utilizers to enact best practices both for their business and our state’s water. We must find ways to hold accountable those who are not implementing safety measures.

Our cancer rates are climbing at alarming rates. We need to more closely study the environmental factors that are contributing to this problem and improve access to cancer screenings and treatments. As Iowa sits on a large radon bed, we specifically need to explore ways to increase radon testing and mitigation.We need to support Iowa’s children and families. Iowa’s schools need proper support to move back to the top rankings, including funding at adequate levels to allow schools to meet the needs of all the students in their care. Our ESA program needs oversight and there must be income and volume caps put into place. If private schools are going to utilize taxpayer dollars, they should have the same standards as our public schools.

Many families are struggling. We need to enact a minimum wage that allows families to function. Iowa must make changes to improve access to mental health care for children and adults. We need to preserve access to SNAP benefits and modify Medicaid into a program that works well for patients, taxpayers and our state.We need to make Iowa work for Iowans. We need to examine how we award tax breaks to large corporations and data centers – our residents should not be paying higher taxes and our towns stressed because a multibillion-dollar company avoids paying its fair share to use our state's resources.

We need to involve stakeholders when writing bills so we are getting expert input and real-world feedback before enacting laws that can have unintended and expensive outcomes. We need to spend less effort focusing on bills that divide and alienate Iowans and more time showing that Iowa is a welcoming place for young people to settle down and raise their families. We want people to invest locally, start small businesses and grow our state.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about healthcare. It starts with making sure people have access to food, housing and communities. Individual healthcare decisions should be made based on the educated and thoughtful conversations between a patient and their provider, not on the feelings of someone with minimal knowledge of practicing medicine.

As guidelines change and new information becomes available, providers should be allowed to follow the research and science to take best care of patients.

Legislators should not be making health care decisions for Iowans. They have little understanding of the decision making and nuance that goes into health care. They should enact policies making it easier for Iowans to receive quality healthcare closer to home.