Ed Fallon

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In October 2002, after progressive Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash, Fallon decided that he wanted to emulate Wellstone's impact on his state's politics by running for Governor. [6] After spending almost two and a half years testing the waters and preparing for his run, he announced his candidacy on April 9, 2005, at a rally at the Iowa State Capitol, becoming the first candidate to officially declare.

During the course of the race, in which he faced Secretary of State Chet Culver and former state economic development director and Congressman Mike Blouin, Fallon positioned himself as a candidate focused on populist concerns. The main focal point of his campaign was a pledge to enact voluntary public financing of elections, a pledge that he reinforced with his refusal to accept donations from political action committees and lobbyists and his self-imposed limitation of $2400 in contributions per person. [7] He was also in favor of creating a locally owned renewable fuels industry, universal health care, reforming the Departments of Human Services and Corrections, ending government handouts to big business, and increased funding for public education. He opposed urban sprawl, legalized gambling, factory farms, and the Iowa Values Fund, a multimillion-dollar corporate incentive package that he dubbed "corporate welfare." [8]

In January and March 2006, more delegates pledged to him were selected to attend the state party convention than those of any other candidate. If no candidate had won 35% of the vote in the primary, convention delegates would have awarded the nomination. In late May, he received the endorsement of the Iowa Sierra Club and the Iowa City Press-Citizen , becoming the first candidate to receive support from a major newspaper. [9]

In the primary on June 6, 2006, the winner was Chet Culver with 57,976 votes (39.09%) and Fallon ran third out of a field of four, receiving 38,160 votes (25.73%). Although this result was not the win that Fallon and his supporters had hoped for, it was considerably in excess of the 5 to 10% that pundits had speculated he might receive at the beginning of the race. [6]

Hiatus from politics

On November 10, 2006, three days after the midterm elections, during which candidates that Fallon had campaigned for were elected Governor, Secretary of State, and to the state legislature and the United States Congress, he announced in an e-mail to supporters that he would take a hiatus from electoral politics, during which he would form a new political activist organization, dedicated to social justice, clean elections, and encouraging local and state action to address global warming.

Fallon campaigning for John Edwards, joining Edwards and Edwards' youngest children at an August 2007 rally for Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign 08.13.2007 Iowa Bus Tour Kick Off! (1106165098).jpg
Fallon campaigning for John Edwards, joining Edwards and Edwards' youngest children at an August 2007 rally for Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign

On December 28, 2006, Fallon appeared in Des Moines at the first official presidential campaign event of former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, taking tickets and passing out Edwards campaign literature. Edwards, who was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, has taken positions similar to Fallon's on campaign finance reform and universal health care, and has called for an end to poverty and an immediate withdrawal from the Iraq War. [10]

On January 11, 2007, Fallon announced in an e-mail to supporters that he had co-founded a private business called "Independence Movement for Iowa," or I'M for Iowa. According to Fallon, the organization will seek "independence" for Iowa from "special interest campaign contributions"; "poverty, injustice and discrimination"; "fossil fuels and foreign oil"; "government subsidies for big business"; and "government officials who operate without the public's interest in mind, often behind closed doors, and with a lack of integrity and accountability.". [11] Questions were raised about I'M for Iowa in March 2007 about whether the organization was following campaign finance laws and behaving in an ethical manner." [12]

2008 Congressional run

Fallon campaigning in 2008 Ed Fallon.jpg
Fallon campaigning in 2008

On January 8, 2008, Fallon formally filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for Congress. [13] He formally announced his candidacy in a press conference in Des Moines on January 16, 2008. [14]

Media reports noted that Fallon carried the 3rd District in the 2006 gubernatorial primary, and examination of the caucus results shows that John Edwards, whom Fallon endorsed, did much better in the district than did Senator Hillary Clinton, whom Boswell endorsed. Edwards carried six counties in the district, while Clinton carried none. Fallon was defeated by Boswell in the Democratic primary on June 3, 2008, by a 61 to 39 percent margin. [15]

Activism

Occupy movement

Fallon was arrested with a number of others on October 8, 2011, on the Iowa Capitol grounds when police broke up the Occupy Des Moines encampment, part of the Occupy Movement. [16] Fallon was found not guilty of trespassing by a jury on March 9, 2012. [17]

Climate advocacy

On March 1, 2013, Fallon announced the start of a campaign aimed at inspiring society to take action on climate change. Fallon assembled a team and launched the non-profit, Great March for Climate Action. His plan to inspire hundreds of individuals to march across the nation, from Los Angeles, CA to Washington, DC, helped motivate both the general public and elected officials to address climate change. [18]

On March 2, 2015, Fallon began a 400-mile hike along the then-proposed Dakota Access pipeline in Keokuk, to protest and rally support for farmers, landowners, and Indigenous people affected by the plan. [19] On May 18, 2015, Capitol Police were called for a disturbance in the Governor's Office. Fallon was found refusing to leave as he protested the Dakota Access pipeline. He was escorted off the premises and charged with criminal trespassing. He posted bond that evening. [20]

From late 2015 to early 2016, Fallon worked with The Climate Mobilization to approach presidential candidates campaigning for the Iowa caucuses urging a more realistic and ambitious approach to the climate crisis, an economic mobilization on the scale of the American effort during World War II for 100% clean energy and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. [21] In January 2016, Fallon hosted a "Climate Emergency Caucus" in Des Moines before the Iowa caucuses, which simulated the state's 2016 Democratic presidential primary caucus. Bernie Sanders won the vote with 67% of attendees. [22] Fallon endorsed Sanders for president, and spoke publicly in his favor in advance of the Iowa caucuses. [23]

Since its formation in 2016, Fallon has served as the director of Bold Iowa. [24] [25] Bold Iowa's mission is to build rural-urban coalitions to address climate change and prevent the abuse of eminent domain to build pipelines. [26]

Fallon wrote his first book, Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim, published in 2018. [27]

Urban farming

Currently, in addition to hosting The Fallon Forum talk show, and directing Bold Iowa and Climate March, Ed Fallon and his wife manage Birds & Bees Urban Farm, [28] a Des Moines educational non-profit urban farm.

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References

  1. ↑ "From the Sidelines, Fallon Soldiers On". The Des Moines Register. 2008-11-09. Retrieved 2008-11-12.[ dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Exalting the e-word". The Economist. 2006-06-01. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  3. ↑ Lewis, Melanie (1989-10-12). "D.M. schoolchildren taught ways to make peace in conflict". Des Moines Register.
  4. ↑ "Voting with their dollars: Iowans reassess military spending". Hawkeye. 1991-11-01.
  5. ↑ Roos, Jonathan; Fogarty, Thomas A. (1992-06-03). "Szymoniak narrowly foils Hatch challenge; Fallon upsets Sherzan". Des Moines Register.
  6. 1 2 Dorman, Todd (7 June 2006). "Culver wins Democratic slot for governor". Mason City Globe Gazette. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  7. ↑ Evidence suggests Fallon may challenge Boswell in Dem primary Archived 2007-12-25 at the Wayback Machine Iowa Independent
  8. ↑ Gable, Erik (2005-04-20). "Fallon pitches bid for governor". www.ffledger.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-19. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  9. ↑ "Our Campaigns - IA Governor - D Primary Race - Jun 06, 2006". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  10. ↑ Radio Iowa Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ Iowa Politics [usurped]
  12. ↑ Iowa Independent Archived 2008-04-03 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ CQ Politics | Even More Politics for Dems in Iowa Archived 2008-11-05 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ Iowa Politics [usurped]
  15. ↑ "Boswell Wins Democratic Primary". www.cbsnews.com. 4 June 2008. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  16. ↑ "Daily Iowan Media – Casino News Media". Archived from the original on 2011-10-13. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
  17. ↑ "Update: Ed Fallon reacts to not-guilty verdict on trespassing charge | des Moines Register Staff Blogs". Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
  18. ↑ "Great March for Climate Action". Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
  19. ↑ Larry Burkum (6 March 2015). "Former Iowa lawmaker walking to protest proposed pipeline". KCRG-TV9. ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  20. ↑ Brianne Pfannenstiel Ed Fallon arrested at statehouse, Des Moines Register, 18 May 2015
  21. ↑ Glover, Mike (2 October 2015). "Ed Fallon walks the walk for climate action". The Iowa Daily Democrat.
  22. ↑ Haley, Charley (30 January 2016). "Sanders a favorite at climate change rally". Des Moines Register.
  23. ↑ "Iowa Progressives Weigh Clinton vs Sanders as One of Whitest U.S. States Kicks Off Presidential Race". Democracy Now. 1 February 2016.
  24. ↑ "Iowa Regulators Approve Bakken Oil Pipeline Construction". whotv.com. 2016-06-06. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  25. ↑ "Our Team – Bold Iowa" . Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  26. ↑ "Mission – Bold Iowa" . Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  27. ↑ "Reflections on roadkill, life's meaning illuminate Ed Fallon's walk against climate change". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  28. ↑ "Birds & Bees Urban Farm" . Retrieved 2022-07-03.
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Ed Fallon
Ed Fallon Head Shot 2013.jpg
Fallon in 2013
Member of the IowaHouseofRepresentatives
from the 66th district
In office
1993–2006