Iowa Falls business owner Rocky Damiano is seeking the Republican nomination for Iowa Senate District 27 in a primary challenge against incumbent Annette Sweeney.
Damiano, who moved to Iowa Falls in 2014, previously worked for Farm Bureau Financial Services before opening Nimrod Meats in 2022.
Damiano says his campaign is focused on defending property rights, improving water quality and addressing Iowa’s cancer rates. Damiano has voiced opposition to the use of eminent domain for private carbon capture pipeline projects and criticized Governor Kim Reynolds for vetoing legislation last year that would have restricted the practice.
“Obviously being a veteran and standing on the firm foundation of our constitution when our current governor vetoed the eminent domain bill, I just thought it was time for somebody to step up and challenge that,” Damiano says. “And one of the things that I pride myself on is obviously standing firm on the constitution and that definitely violates our constitutional rights. And our current senator has voted to allow eminent domain for private gain. And we just stand on two different sides of the fence on that issue.”
Damiano says he also wants to provide conservative leadership for District 27 and plans to work with residents both inside and outside the district to address challenges facing rural Iowa. Damiano adds that listening to Iowans and finding long-term solutions will remain central to his campaign.
“You know, having a chance to be at the Capitol talking not only with people in our districts, but in other districts,” Damiano says. “It’s again, having those conversations, being able to sit and say, ‘hey, how do we fix this problem?’ And again, I’m always going to say it starts with a conversation. And what I hear a lot of is current senators not even responding back to those questions. It just seems to me that some of our senators are afraid to have those hard conversations or to even engage. If you don’t have the answer, you don’t have the answer, but that doesn’t mean you run and hide. Obviously the eminent domain was huge and some are like, ‘well, you probably won’t talk to me, I’m in a different county.’ That’s not what we’re hired for. We’re voted into this position by the people of Iowa, whether you’re in my district or a different district, you got to have those conversations.”
Iowa Senate District 27 includes all of Hardin County and Grundy County in the broadcast area. The Republican primary election is June 2.
Full interview below
