Meet Samy El-Baroudi, candidate for Iowa House district 34

Samy El-Baroudi, a longtime Des Moines educator and Iowa State Education Association union member, is campaigning for Iowa House District 34. The seat was held by State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad who recently retired after 18 years. El-Baroudi, who was born in Alexandria, Egypt, lives in Des Moines’ River Bend neighborhood and has two adult children. He has lived in Iowa for more than 35 years.

A total of five candidates are running for the seat, including:

John R. Campbell Jr., Democrat
Danielle Duggan, Republican
Rob Johnson, Democrat
Dudley Muhammad, Democrat

In the press release, El-Baroudi said he is running due to a “decline in our education system, our communities and the rights of the citizens of Iowa.” As an educator and a father, he wants to protect and support the youth by giving them the best education possible and allowing them to be themselves, no matter race, sexuality, or gender, the press release stated.

“Education is the number one driver of economic growth. We need a Des Moines teacher’s voice to uplift our students and communities,” he said, in the press release.

El-Baroudi also advocates for increasing the minimum wage, providing affordable housing and securing reproductive health care to decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana, among other priorities.