Iowa delegate C.J. Petersen serving on Democratic National Convention's influential rules committee

C.J. Petersen, one of the rising stars and defining voices in Iowa Democratic Politics, has been selected to serve on the influential rules committee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Aug. 19 to 22.

"Being a delegate to the Democratic National Convention is important to me because rural voices in our party matter,"  Petersen said in an interview with Iowa Mercury. "Rural Iowa is my home, and my husband and I plan to raise our family here. It's crucial that we have leaders in office who will fight for strong public schools, the right to make our own health-care decisions, and our right to be married — all things that Donald Trump and the Republican Party seek to destroy."

Petersen, elected as a delegate during the 4th District Convention in May, is a leading advocate on rural issues and LGBTQ+ policy. He is former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party's Stonewall Caucus, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights.

Petersen and his husband, Luke, reside in rural Audubon County, near Exira and Atlantic. Petersen attends the University of Iowa, and recently earned the prestigious Truman Scholarship, a national honor.

Petersen, 34, is attending the national convention in his own right. Petersen earned his political stripes in Iowa as a candidate for the Iowa Senate in 2020, and as communications director for the U.S. Senate campaign two years later of Democrat Admiral Mike Franken.

Petersen is eager to board Amtrak in Osceola with a "Ridin' With Biden" hat and arrive at Chicago's Union Station ready for the convention. The rules committee handles key issues for the convention, like the appointment of permanent officers for conducting convention business. It is a highly sought-after role.

As for the anxious and strained conversations raging in Democratic circles surrounding President Biden's debate performance last week, Petersen shot back with Biden's oft-stated line about his own campaign -- "Don't compare me to the Almighty, compare me with the alternative."

"By the way, I'm not a member of a cult," Petersen said. "I'm able to admit my candidate had a bad night without fear of hurting his feelings. That's why I'm a Democrat, because we can handle free thought. The president is a big boy. He can handle criticism. I don't think he needs me to tell him he had a bad night."

Petersen said Biden has been the most successful president of his lifetime.

"President Biden worked with Iowa leaders like Congresswoman Cindy Axne to cap the price of insulin at $35 a month, codify the right to marriage equality for same-sex couples and interracial marriage into federal law, and deliver the largest infrastructure law in generations," Petersen said. " I drive rural Iowa roads and bridges every day, and I'm grateful President Biden delivered for our state."

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention like Petersen have to fund their own travel and participation in the convention, which can make it financially challenging for younger, working people to represent their states at the national level. Those wishing to donate to Petersen's Democratic National Convention expenses can click here. NOTE: The donation is not tax deductible.

(Douglas Burns, a fourth-generation Iowa journalist from Carroll, is a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Read dozens of the most talented writers in Iowa in just one place. The Iowa Writers' Collaborative spans the full state. It’s one of the biggest things going in Iowa journalism and writing now — and you don’t want to miss. This collaborative is — as the outstanding Quad Cities journalist Ed Tibbetts says — YOUR SUNDAY IOWA newspaper. Please follow other writers on the roster below. )