Carissa Froyum

Carissa is a fourth generation educator, union leader, and mother to a medically fragile child. To Carissa, healthcare is personal. Her second child was born with a rare, life-threatening medical condition. He doesn't breathe in his sleep; a machine breathes for him. Private insurance doesn’t cover what her son needs to be safe and he went onto Medicaid as a baby. When Medicaid was privatized in Iowa, a recertification company asked her if she was willing to put her young son into a nursing home if they denied his coverage. Disgusted by the immorality of it, Carissa exclaimed, “No, never!” She has been a strong voice for vulnerable Iowans ever since.

When your child could die any night, you get your priorities straight right quick. Family first. Come together in times of crisis. Get things done. That’s the approach Carissa will take to fix our broken government in Iowa. She will bring real solutions to our big problems.