Latham announces run for District 54 seat

An area businesswoman has thrown her hat in the ring for the Iowa House District 54 election in November.

Shannon Latham, a Republican from Sheffield and Vice President of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, announced last week that she will run for the position currently held by Linda Upmeyer, who will not seek reelection.

Latham said she decided to run because of the opportunity to lead her home area and use her business expertise to help others.

“I spent a lot of time talking with family about it,” she said, “then we decided that after weighing it around, that I should run because I’m passionate about North Iowa, North Iowa’s future, I’m a proponent for agriculture, I’m an advocate for small farmers, small business owners and rural Iowa.”

Latham carries a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Iowa, 25 years of businesses experience and has also served as an agricultural program coordinator for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

She said her experiences in her career to this point have helped her understand issues business owners and agricultural producers face on a daily basis and how those trials can translate to a leadership position in the Iowa legislature.

“I understand the challenges of starting a new business, getting that capital, hiring and maintaining a skilled workforce and everything that goes into running a business,” she said. “All those experiences have really opened my eyes.”

Latham added that if elected, facilitating a ready, qualified workforce for Iowa’s businesses is a top priority. Recruiting new people to the area and educating those already here, she said, are two important steps towards bolstering North Iowa’s workforce.

“We need to have recruitment and have North Iowa businesses work together and have synergistic ideas for this recruitment,” she said. “Education plays into that as well. We have to have a strong education system to provide people with the skills they need beyond high school.”

If elected, Latham said she would embrace the challenge of filling the shoes the Upmeyer, who also served as Speaker of the House. She said she admired Upmeyer’s versatility and her accomplishments across the various platforms on which she served throughout her career.

“She’s such an inspiration because she’s a wife, she’s a mom and she’s a daughter,’ Latham said. “She’s a great example of someone who has been successful personally and professionally. She’s been a great inspiration.”

Latham said she’s excited for her campaign to begin and would be honored to earn election, as District 54 is an area she’s called home for the majority of her life.

“It would be an honor to represent my home counties,” she said. “I’m looking forward to going out, knocking on doors and getting reacquainted with old friends and also meeting new people.”