To the editor:

I’ve known Megan Srinivas for well over 20 years. She is a graduate of Fort Dodge Senior High. Why many people think she is from out of town is beyond me. True, she went away to university — to Harvard, no less, where she was a great student. She’s a graduate of the University of Iowa Medical School.

I was surprised when Megan decided to run for the state Legislature, not because she was somehow unfit, but because she is undoubtedly overqualified. When she wins, she’ll be giving up a significant amount of income to serve. She is following her life plan to serve others rather than taking the more common path to big dollars.

Megan is currently practicing medicine in Fort Dodge. She came back home to serve the community she loves.

She could have gone anywhere, literally. She’s exceptional in every way. She’s a fine public speaker who makes good common sense when she presents herself, and she is an incisive thinker who understands a lot about the single most overriding issue of the current campaign — the awful mess our farmed-out Medicaid program is in.

We have too many second-rate legislators in Iowa. The brightest people don’t find time to serve, or they don’t want to make major sacrifices to do it, so we get the second team. Luckily for us, we have had the services of Helen Miller for the last 16 years, and she has shown what an exceptional person can do in the Legislature.

We should not blow our chance to elect another exceptional person to replace Helen, just because some people in the local society class don’t know her as well as they know her opponent. Megan is a better candidate in every way, and will be a better legislator, too.

Vote for Megan Srinivas. She will make our city and all Iowa proud.

Dave Hearn

Fort Dodge