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De Blasio Calls On Democrats To Make Bold Proposals

New York City mayer Bill de Blasio speaks at the Iowa State Fair.
John Pemble
/
IPR
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at the Iowa State Fair.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Democrats need to put forward a vision that voters can be passionate about in order to bring voters off of the sidelines in the 2020 presidential election. The candidate for the Democratic nomination spoke to voters at the Iowa State Fair Sunday and cautioned that taking a moderate approach against President Donald Trump could hurt turnout.

“People need to know us by how bold we are willing to be to make change,” de Blasio said at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox. “A lot of people stayed home because they didn’t think that their vote would make a difference. We can’t afford that again.”

De Blasio laid out proposals he supported in New York that he said he would propose for workers across the country including paid sick leave, a $15 minimum wage, two-weeks paid vacation and guaranteed health coverage.

“In the state of Iowa, people are not getting the health care they need,” de Blasio said. “In rural Iowa, people are not getting the mental health care they need.”

De Blasio said campaign money has disillusioned both Republican and Democratic voters and has kept both political parties from challenging corporate interests. He said he supports a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision to decrease the influence of corporate political contributions.

And de Blasio seemed to enjoy his trip to the State Fair.

“I love the Iowa State Fair,” he said. “I’m in love with it — my first time. It’s amazing.”

Grant Gerlock is a reporter covering Des Moines and central Iowa