Retired Navy Vice Admiral Michael Franken told The Daily Iowan he is trying to be “the face of rural America” in his campaign for U.S. Senate.

Franken, who is one of many Democrats vying to challenge Iowa’s junior senator, Republican Joni Ernst next November, met and spoke with about 30 prospective voters on Dec. 14 in the law office of Iowa City trial attorney Jim Larew. Franken outlined a platform that included comprehensive health care, climate action, and targeting special interests in Congress.

Franken spoke about involving farmers in climate-change solutions, such as using soil to sequester carbon and using alternative methods to make ethanol more efficient.

It is difficult to zero in on solutions to problems for rural Americans, Franken said in the interview, because there is so much variance in farmers’ priorities depending on the type of work they do.

“I think developing a viable agricultural future for this state should be job number one for me,” Franken said. “… We need to start thinking of other alternatives for a more sustainable future.”

Franken spoke about improving health care, but he said he was not in favor of a single-payer system. He advocated for expanding the Affordable Care Act and enacting policies to bring down the premium prices.

Franken is one of several candidates in the Democratic primary. Real Estate Executive Theresa Greenfield and businessman Eddie Mauro top the field in cash on hand, with each raking in more than $1 million, according to the Federal Elections Commission. Franken tails them, raising about $100,000 so far.

He went after Ernst for several decisions, including her support for the repeal of the 2015 Waters of the United States rule, which imposed strict pollution protections on wetlands and waterways. The repeal of the Obama-era regulation has been criticized by environmentalists as supporting industries, farmers, and coal miners without proper safeguards for the environment in place.

In August, Ernst introduced the “Define WOTUS Act” that would repeal and replace current regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and give congressional authority over what can be defined as a waterway in the act.

Franken pointed to his military experience as a key factor that would help him defeat Ernst, who is also a veteran, if he were to win the primary election. Ernst was a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa National Guard and was called to active duty in Iraq in 2003 as a commander.

“Joni Ernst rode that service thing very hard in her election,” he said in the interview. “So, I think when people look at hers and they look at mine and they say, ‘well, he did it as well.’ And we’ll let them determine whether there’s an equivalency there.”

Franken served in the U.S. Navy from 1981 to 2017, retiring as a three-star admiral. He served in the Office of Legislative Affairs, advising prominent leaders such as former Department of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Ted Kennedy.

Johnson County resident Carl Riechers said he thinks Franken’s military experience puts him in a position to challenge Ernst, and it shows he is qualified for political work.

“Those guys don’t get to be admirals without some politics involved,” Riechers said. “You have to be a doer, but there’s also a certain amount of politics in the military. It just says he’s very accomplished.”

Larew organized the event at his law office, and said he is supporting Franken in the primary election because of his military career and his forward-thinking approach to policies. Larew, 65, has hosted similar events in his office for 30 years, promoting candidates and causes that he supports.

“In Iowa it’s been my experience that you don’t win statewide political office in the state simply by putting out media,” Larew said. “In Iowa it’s toe to toe, it’s eyeball to eyeball in order to get initial traction… And then if he passes the test, then he will get the momentum that I think he deserves.”