Iowa House District 66 candidate Matt English wants to ‘make your voices heard, flip this seat and make the government of Iowa work for Iowans’

Iowa House District 66 candidate Matt English answered a candidate Q&A by Black Iowa News. Here are his emailed responses to the questionnaire by Black Iowa News. The incumbent is Steven Bradley, a Republican.

Anamosa is home to the Anamosa State Penitentiary.

The deadline for candidates to file for state offices is March 13, according to the Iowa Secretary of State. The primary election will be held on June 2, 2026. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.

Name: William Matthew (Matt) English IV

Age: 34

City of birth: Anamosa, Iowa

Spouse/significant other/family members, pets? Wife – Jessica English, Pets – three dogs, Apollo (Border Collie/Boxer mix), Aria (Malamute), Heilo (super-mut)

Party: Democrat

Occupation: High school social studies teacher, theater director, and speech coach.

Educational background: Master’s degree in History from Grand Canyon University, 2024, and Bachelor’s degree in post-secondary education from Mount Mercy University, 2022.

Previous elected positions/and or campaigns: NA

City you currently reside in: Anamosa.

When will you file the paperwork to run for Iowa House District 66?: Undetermined

Who is your campaign manager + phone/email)? Jessica English (563) 506-3295

Black Iowa News: What specifically motivated you to run for Iowa House District 66?

English: “For years now, my wife and I have talked about the deterioration of our state and nation, and she has asked repeatedly if I would ever run for office, and over and over, I said I wouldn’t. That changed last year for two reasons: first, I was approached by Andy McKean, a former Republican representative turned Democrat, when the Republican party realigned itself with the Trump brand during the last election cycle. Andy has subbed for my classes in the past, saw me speak at Anamosa’s Veterans’ Day assembly, and, based on his personal evaluation of me, asked me to consider running to replace him if he were to win in 2024.

He unfortunately lost but asked me to meet with the Democratic leadership of Jones and Jackson counties and to consider running for the Statehouse. Second, during the 2025 legislative session, I watched in horror, as did many other Iowans, as the Republican-controlled state government stripped Civil Rights protections away from transgender Iowans. I have watched students come to terms with their identities who now struggle with the idea of staying in Iowa because our current leadership clearly doesn’t value them. Add to this the prolonged attacks on DEI initiatives and public education, and I couldn’t in good conscience sit back and watch our state crumble.”

Black Iowa News: How would you specifically address and represent the diversity that is present in Iowa House District 66?:

English: “I think diversity is an undervalued strength in Iowa; it comes from a history as a refuge for the oppressed, a strength that Republicans are attempting to undo through anti-LGBTQ legislation, the termination of Affirmative Action and DEI initiatives, and by creating an environment in which already marginalized groups are under constant threat. I would counteract this trend by working to bolster the Iowa Civil Rights Amendment and working to fund and implement targeted investment programs for minority communities across the state; providing funding for schools, community centers and locally owned businesses (while avoiding the typical pitfalls of gentrification).”

Black Iowa News: The year 2025 was difficult for many people due to rising food, housing and health care costs, unemployment, and the divisiveness of political discourse. How will your platform and campaign motivate people and get them to register and get out to the polls?

English: “I am hesitant to follow the typical path of claiming this is a vital moment in history, but as a historian, I can confidently say that we are at a unique juncture in American politics. We have reached such a state that it has become not only acceptable to parrot Nazi and KKK talking points, but defensible by Republicans. For decades, following WWII, politicians debated the best way to address the ailments of the American people, but in the last 15 years, the Republican Party has become a party of erasure and non-governance, dismantling agencies and organizations that would help Iowans in their worst times, replacing them with oppressive systems that worsen the suffering of the already vulnerable.”

Black Iowa News: What are you hearing so far from residents about what they need most?

English: “The loudest voices are worried about property taxes, while the most frequent voices are concerned with the broader cost of living. Both are complex issues that require tactful approaches. Property taxes fund essential services such as schools, roads, and emergency services; lowering them without a replacement would devastate communities across the state. I would seek or create alternative funding sources to offset the property tax burden, then lower the tax rate. Addressing the overall cost of living is an even greater challenge that would require regulating the housing market and rental property ownership, removing the barriers Republicans have put in the way of receiving social welfare benefits, and creating a new formula to determine who qualifies so that benefits can be expanded.”

Black Iowa News: What responsibility do you feel to ensure the voices and needs of Black Iowans and people of color reach the statehouse?

English: “I don’t have any strong ties to the Black communities of Iowa, but I do have empathy, shaped by friendships forged during military service, previous jobs and historical study. I believe that liberty is a fundamental principle of a functioning democracy, and the greatest guarantor of liberty is a public voice. While I cannot begin to fully grasp the needs of Black Iowans, I will seek their counsel and do my best to represent them with fidelity.”

Black Iowa News: “What do you need from the community to win this seat?

English: “I am in no position to make demands of anyone. I am an untested, unknown actor on the political stage. However, what I hope to accomplish will take a concerted effort by voters to mobilize in November. Make your voices heard, flip this seat and make the government of Iowa work for Iowans.”

Black Iowa News: Tell us about someone who was influential in your life and how that shaped you?

English: “John Reyes was my first squad leader in the Army. He was firm but understanding, and always pushed his soldiers to do more, to be more. He is still one of the greatest people I have ever met. John demonstrated what servant leadership should look like; He didn’t just give orders and supervise, he was there shoulder to shoulder with his men in everything we did. John and I have both separated from the military, but we continue to serve our communities; he in Team Red, White & Blue, a veterans group, and I as a teacher.”

Black Iowa News: Do you have a motto you live by or a favorite saying?

English: “I would say I have two ideas that shape who I am. First, Viktor Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist and survivor of the Holocaust, wrote extensively about his experiences. Through a professional self-analysis, he realized that it is not the strongest or smartest people who survive adversity, but those who can find a purpose in it. I strive to find the purpose behind everything that I do, from teaching to running for office; my purpose is service. Second, I look to the founding myth of Rome, Romulus and Remus were abandoned and raised by a she-wolf and later by a shepherd. Which to me means even great things have humble beginnings.”

Black Iowa News: What do you like to do in your spare time?

English: “My service to others never seems to end. I teach, I am the assistant theater director at Anamosa High School, and I am the assistant speech director and a foster parent. What little spare time I have between the 11-13-hour days and campaigning is spent with my wife, foster child and our families, with some reading and the occasional video game sprinkled in.”

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