As the race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District grows closer, it has become increasingly clear to the Daily Iowan Editorial Board that one candidate stands above the other. The incumbent and Democratic nominee Dave Loebsack is the better choice for the House of Representatives as opposed to Republican challenger Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

David Loebsack has demonstrated a deep-seated devotion to his state reflected in his four previous terms as congressman. As a representative of the people of Iowa, Loebsack has fought to improve the lives of everyday Iowans through practical policies that will reinforce the social infrastructure of the state.

Through his work on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Loebsack has made efforts to increase job production as well as champion education quality and accessibility. As a professor emeritus of political science at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and graduate of Iowa State University, Loebsack has made education a priority for all Iowa students.

With his work on the House Armed Services Committee, he has fought for the men and women who fight for this country against threats at home and abroad. His focuses include protection for members of the armed forces while they are deployed through a heightened emphasis on equipment and preparation. Furthermore, Loebsack has made a point to ensure that protection extends to our troops who have made it back home and veterans in terms of health care, education opportunities, and benefits for the family.

Too often, politicians allow their own allegiances, personal interests, and party ideologies to obstruct the needs of the people they are to sworn to represent. Loebsack has a history of bipartisanship, demonstrating a propensity to compromise, and acquiesce for the greater good. This is a rare trait in the politics of today.

His bill Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success aims to bridge the disparity between the need for skilled, qualified workers and those who could fill those positions.

Loebsack’s bipartisanship also extends to issues concerning clean energy and sustainability such as efforts made to extend tax credits for the wind industry to ensure corporate stability.

On health care, Loebsack and Miller-Meeks’ approaches couldn’t be more opposite. Miller-Meeks can’t seem to give a clear answer on what she would do in place of the Affordable Care Act, but she has campaigned against it this entire election cycle. Loebsack, on the other hand, has taken a more pragmatic attitude to make changes in its implementation instead of scrapping it.

Iowa needs a representative with a vested interest in the affairs of the state and realistic plans that will actually benefit the people of Iowa. Miller-Meeks has relied on attempting to discredit the incumbent and blaming Washington. It is true that Congress has become a bastion of conflicting interests, and a candidate with experience and demonstrated willingness to traverse this landscape will benefit the people of Iowa the most in the long run. David Loebsack is the best candidate to represent Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, and he should be elected for a fifth term.