With five months until the primary election, Iowa City labor leader and Democratic activist Tony Currin, a candidate for Iowa House District 89, promises that he will cause a ruckus in the Iowa Legislature and work hard during his term. 

Currin is running to fill the seat that is currently held by Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, who will not be running for reelection. 

A civil rights and labor activist in Iowa City, Currin plans to make an impact in Iowa by knocking on doors and connecting with voters, he said. 

One of the goals that Currin has if elected is to teach his constituents how government plays a role in their everyday lives. 

“I’m going to tell people the spirit of the law. I’m going to put it in everyday context,” Currin said at an event hosted by University Democrats at the University of Iowa.

Currin has worn many hats in the Iowa City community. He was briefly part of the first group of commissioners on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Iowa City as well as the Affirmative Action Commission chair. 

Due to his service to the Iowa City community, Currin said that he has learned to meet people where they are and if elected will continue to be engaged with his constituents. 

“So many people stop being engaged, I won’t,” Currin said in an interview with The Daily Iowan. “I’m going to stay connected to all the groups that I was going to represent and that’s going to keep me grounded.”

Currently, Currin is one of the two Democratic candidates running for the soon to be empty seat of House District 89. Running against him is Elinor Levin, who announced her candidacy in December 2021. 

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and the Black community, Currin says that he knows what it is like to be in the minority and is ready to work in a majority-Republican legislature.

Currin, a UI alum, said that if elected he will prioritize students by giving the students a voice in the Iowa Legislature.