Rep. Dean Fisher (R-Montour).

Dean Fisher, Republican candidate for Iowa House District 53

Age: 70​

Education: Graduated from South Tama CSD in 1975, Graduated from DeVry Institute of Technology in 1978 with a Bachelor’s in Electronics Engineering Technology

Occupation/Profession: Electronics Engineering and Business Management, Farming

Family: Wife Vicki, two step children and 3 step grandchildren

1. What would be your top three legislative priorities if elected?

It is always difficult to select priorities because every constituent has different priorities, and it’s always possible to work on far more than just a few priorities as well. My top 3 for the coming session will include improving affordability, supporting our agricultural community, and fighting for a healthier Iowa. Improving affordability will include continuing to lower the overall tax burden on Iowan’s. I also support the increasingly talked about elimination of property taxes on primary residences. Supporting our agriculture community will include continuing to fight to protect our farms from eminent domain abuse. Fighting for a healthier Iowa will include continuing to understand and improve on Iowa’s cancer issue.

2. What issues are you hearing most from voters currently?

Affordability is the number one issue I hear from voters. First and foremost, it is critical that the state maintain a responsible budget that addresses the priorities of Iowans without unnecessary taxation. House Republicans have done just that, keeping Iowa’s spending down and cutting Iowa’s taxes significantly so that the folks keep more of their own hard-earned dollars in their pockets. We have reduced income taxes for every Iowan, down to 3.8% flat tax and in the 2026 session, we implemented significant property tax reform that will kick in in 2027. Other than keeping taxes low, we will continue to look for ways to help Iowans struggling with rising costs, both by lowering costs and strengthening the economy in Iowa. Just a few weeks ago we passed a legislation update that will attract a new steel mill to Iowa, the nation’s largest. This will bring thousands of high paying jobs to Iowa, which will benefit all Iowan’s through increased revenue.

3. How will you address property taxes if elected?

In the 2026 session Republicans passed significant property tax reform that will save Iowans $4 billion over the next few years. We did this by capping increases in local government spending while maintaining incentives for communities to grow and by making other changes. I will continue to press for changes to property taxes, including looking for ways to reduce the regulation and costs to local governments. Gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn has proposed eliminating property taxes on primary residences, and I will support that initiative as we look for ways to implement it.

4. What do you propose should be done to improve water quality in the state? Do you support raising the state’s sales tax to fund Iowa’s Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund? Please explain.

The Nutrient Reduction Strategy that stakeholders in Iowa began years ago is now bearing fruit as the numbers show gains in reducing nitrates and phosphorus in our streams. I support the continuance and possibly expansion of this strategy. This past session I supported historic investment in water quality including expanding water monitoring, nitrate removal, and investing in small-town water systems. Will continue to fight for better practices to protect our water upstream.

I do not support increasing the sales tax in order toimplement the trust fund. While some of these funds could be used for improving water quality, by law the Trust Fund must also fund trails, parks, and other projects that have nothing to do with water quality. At a time when affordability is our biggest issue, a sales tax increase seems like the wrong direction. We have, and can continue, to fund these initiatives through the current revenue streams.

5. Rising cancer rates are a concern for many Iowans. What action should the legislature take to lower the rate?

Whether a family member, friend, or neighbor receives a cancer diagnosis, every Iowan knows someone affected by cancer. I’ve lost two of my cousins to cancer. Our cancer rates are concerning, and puzzling, which is why I supported the cancer study being conducted at the University of Iowa that is aimed at helping us to understand the true root cause of Iowa’s cancer crisis. I initiated a presentation on the first phase of this study to the Environmental Protection Committee this past session so we could hear first hand the results so far, and those results were surprising. The final report will be due next year, and we hope that report provides strong direction. It is imperative that we know what the root cause is and avoid jumping to conclusions based on political agendas. I also supported $3 million in pediatric cancer research to get to the root of the problem. To prevent future cancer rates, I voted for radon mitigation legislation this past session as lung cancer is one of the highest contributors to our rates.

6. With physicians leaving the state, medical facilities either closing or reducing services and rural EMS often struggling to recruit/retain volunteers, what will you do to repair the health care system in Iowa?

Access to affordable healthcare is important, which is why I’ve passed legislation to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in our state and support first responders like EMS. In recent years, I’ve helped pass legislation to support rural emergency hospitals and provided flexibility and tools for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service providers so that they can provide their essential services without the government getting in their way. I supported the property tax levy to help fund our ambulance services which was voted on by the people of Tama county two years ago.

I have also supported legislation to increase the number of mental health workers through funding more seats for psychiatrists and other professions in our universities and by broadening the scope of practice for certain health care professionals. .

7. Public school districts have said the amount of money received from the state each year needs to be increased. Do you agree with that stance? Please explain. How much money do you think districts should receive each year?

Every single year that I’ve been in the legislature, I have helped pass an annual increase in K-12 funding. The state spends over $8,000 per student in public school on the State Aid alone, which does not include additional state general fund dollars spent for Categorical Funds. Furthermore, roughly half of our property taxes go to the public schools, as well as nearly 1 cent of our sales taxes, bringing public school funding to over $11 billion annually, roughly $20,000 per public school student. The property tax portion of that funding in Tama County has gone up atroughly 4% annually. Claims that our public schools are underfunded are simply false. It’s important that we invest in our students but more importantly, we must provide parents and educators with the tools they need to help our children thrive–support that is not always tied to a dollar figure. I’m always working to improve our education system and more work remains to be done.

8. As agriculture becomes increasingly concentrated and consolidated, what should Iowa be doing to prioritize opportunities for independent and small family farms, as well as beginning farmers who don’t have inherited land or other significant assets? Are the current policies sufficient, and if not, what specific changes would you support?

One of the initiatives that I’ve supported in the past is the Choose Iowa program run by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. This program provides a statewide website that connects local food producers with customers, an incredible marketing tool. Local food production is a much less capital intensive entry point for a beginning farmer than large row crop farming.

I support statewide programs to give beginning farmers support in various ways, including renting state land to beginning farmers. One area that is a sore spot is when ag land is bid on by IDNR or other well funded environmental groups, pushing the price up out of the reach of younger farmers. When we have proposed restrictions on this practice, environmentalist groups have opposed it aggressively, limiting our ability to assist young farmers hoping to buy land. The DNR has far too much ag land sitting fallow now, they do not need more.

9. In 2025, Iowa removed gender identity as a protected class from the Iowa Civil Rights Act (state code). Do you support that change? Please Explain.

I supported legislation to protect girls from men in their locker rooms, bathrooms, sports, and other private spaces and will always lead on common-sense legislation that protects women. We have all seen video footage showing the absurdity of a male athlete standing on the podium after winning in women’s sports competitions. When the Democrats recklessly added Gender Identity into the code in 2007, women’s right to privacy in sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms was impeded. The only way to put a stop to this was to remove gender identity as a protected class. Iowa leads the nation in protecting women’s private spaces.

10. Why should voters choose you in the race for Iowa House District 53?

I have a broad range of life experience that I bring to the legislature, having been born and raised on a farm, worked in engineering and manufacturing for 26 years, and then farmed with my brother for 10 years. Now, with 14 years in the legislature, I have a proven track record of delivering results for Tama and Poweshiek counties. I listen to my constituents, stay focused on the task, and deliver on the priorities of my House district.