The voters in House District 10 – all of Calhoun, Pocahontas and Humboldt counties and six townships in western Webster County – have the opportunity to be represented in the Iowa House of Representatives by an extraordinary community leader.

Mike Sexton, a business owner and farmer from the rural Rockwell City area, is the Republican nominee for this post. He previously was elected to the Iowa Senate in 1998 and chose to serve just four years. During that term, he chaired the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

Sexton will bring to the House a superb mix of governmental and private sector experience.

He is a farmer who, along with his wife, Becky, also owns two agriculture-related businesses: Twin Lakes Environmental Services and Real Time Ag. Sexton was named the 2013 Neal Smith Entrepreneur of the Year by the Iowa Small Business Development Center for starting Real Time Ag, a software company that makes a program to help farmers stay current with regulatory reporting.

His success as an entrepreneur and broad knowledge of the challenges businesses face led the Iowa Industry Political Action Committee to include Sexton as one of its endorsed candidates this year.

“I will work to find ways to make it easier to be an employer in the state, draw new jobs to Iowa and ensure our workers have the skills they need to succeed,” Sexton told The Messenger earlier this year. “I will go to Des Moines and fight for our rural communities and Main Street businesses.”

Policies that keep Iowa’s economy growing will be an important priority in the next session of the Legislature. Sexton is well-qualified to make a positive contribution to the dialogue about the state government’s options.

Education reform is also likely to be a major issue when legislators convene in Des Moines. Sexton’s recent service as a school board member will make him an especially knowledgeable participant in that debate.

The Messenger urges voters in District 10 to make Mike Sexton their representative in the Iowa House of Representatives. He is among this year’s best-qualified legislative candidates. Sexton has the potential to be an outstanding lawmaker.