Mary Jo Wilhelm

Mary Jo Wilhelm of Cresco, a Howard County Supervisor and small business owner, announced today that she is a candidate for the Iowa State Senate in District 8. Senate District 8 covers all of Howard, Chickasaw, Allamakee, and Winneshiek counties.

“Serving in the Iowa Senate would give me an opportunity to use the experiences and insights that I’ve gained throughout my years in Northeast Iowa,” said Wilhelm, a Democrat. “In addition to serving for the past 11 years as a County Supervisor, my experiences include growing up on a farm in Howard County, as well as working in a store, a factory, public health, hospital, and clinic. I will take to Des Moines the concerns of affordable health care for our elderly, veterans, and families.”

As the parent of two sons, Wilhelm said that she will be a strong advocate in Des Moines for rural schools, affordable higher education, and the creation of more good-paying jobs in rural Iowa.

“My husband and I have two sons in college and we would like to see them both stay in Iowa,” she said. “That’s why I will work hard in Des Moines to improve schools in our small towns and rural areas, and to ensure that there are more opportunities for Iowa’s children and grandchildren to stay in our state after graduation to live, work and raise a family.”

While serving on the Howard County Board of Supervisors, Wilhelm’s priorities have included improving health and mental health services, ensuring the safety of county roads and bridges, and pushing property tax reform.

Wilhelm said that the devastating bridge collapse in Minneapolis highlights the need for all states, including Iowa, to have a smarter strategy for protecting roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure.

Mary Jo and her husband, Michael, have been married for 24 years. Michael works at the Donaldson Co. a factory in Cresco. They have two sons currently attending college: Ben is attending University of Iowa and Alex is attending Kirkwood Community College. Mike also has a son, Christopher, who is married and lives in Decorah.

Mary Jo was a Realtor from 1999 to 2005, and has been a certified Residential Appraiser since 2000. She started Wilhelm Appraisers in January 2006. She is a member of Member of Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Wilhelm said her campaign will focus on talking personally with as many voters as possible.