Around 40 people heard from a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate at the Mills Seed Building in Washington Saturday morning.

The Washington County Democrats hosted a meet and greet for retired Navy Vice Admiral Michael Franken who is running against former Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and physician and Minden City Council Member Glenn Hurst for the Democratic nomination in the June 7th primary election, to go head-to-head with incumbent Republican Charles Grassley in the November general. Franken answered questions regarding women’s reproductive rights, working on behalf of Black and Hispanic Iowans and other people of color, and attacks on democracy. He also commented on how Democratic candidates should appeal to rural voters as he took part in a televised debate later Saturday evening, “I would have preferred to be in Des Moines preparing for my debate today, but since this is Washington, Iowa, and not a meet and greet in Des Moines or an urban area, I wanted to come to this because this is what matters. You’re not going to win this race without concentrating west of [Interstate] 35, you will not win.”

Franken previously ran for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate and lost during the primary to Theresa Greenfield in 2020, who was later beat by Republican incumbent Joni Ernst. You can hear from Franken during Monday’s Halcyon House Washington Page on air and at kciiradio.com.