Daryl Beall has been a part of north central Iowa for much of his life. He was born in Fort Dodge and grew up in Calhoun County. His lifelong record of community service is impressive. Over the years, his leadership roles in civic, business and religious organizations made this a better place for all of us to live. Along the way, he accumulated an encyclopedic knowledge about our region and the diverse people who live here. That prepared him superbly to be a strong advocate in Des Moines for rural Iowa.

Many voters today are cynical about politicians. It is a sad truth that an unsettling number of elected officials forget the people back home once they win office and serve mostly themselves or a narrow group of special interests.

In civics class we learned that the men and women for whom we vote should be “public servants.”

Beall’s years in Des Moines have demonstrated that he is one politician who genuinely believes public service is a high calling. His dedication to making sure that all points of view in the communities he represents have a chance to be heard is becoming legendary. So too is his tireless protection of his district. Beall looks after the needs of his constituents with a zeal that is truly inspirational.

What is most impressive, however, is that in an era of excessive partisan division, Beall – a proud and committed Democrat – has worked hard to bring Democrats and Republicans together to find solutions to the problems in our society.

He focuses on what people have in common, not what divides them. That was his style long before he was in the Senate, and it makes him a badly needed voice of reason in the Capitol. It is an approach that is the key to making both society and government work.

The Republican Party has nominated an attractive candidate for this race – Tim Kraayenbrink, of Fort Dodge. He would be worthy of this newspaper’s backing if he were not running against such an outstanding incumbent. Beall deserves the support of even those voters who may not agree with him on every issue. There is need in both parties for more candidates who warrant respect not just because of policies they support, but also because of their character and experience. Beall is in that august company.

The voters of Senate District 5 should keep Sen. Daryl Beall on the job.