Sondra Wilson’s “One-Page Article Campaign”

By Sondra Wilson. Updated 2/25/2025.

On Wednesday, February 19 I launched a “One-Page Article Campaign”. In a nutshell, I show up to an event that is relevant to my platform for Iowa Governor with a one-page article written specifically for that event. Please continue to check this web page, as the following list of articles will grow every week as my campaign for Iowa Governor for the 2026 election continues to grow. 

Two things to note: (1) The following events are posted in reverse order, so the Feb. 19 Vicki Hartzler event is posted last, with most recent events posted at the top, and (2) each article is technically one sheet of paper, with two pages of information. “One Page Article Campaign” sounded catchier though, so went with that.

Event #4: Feb. 26 – Iowa State University Student Government Meeting

Event #3: Feb. 25 – Ames City Council Meeting

Event #2: Feb. 24 – Lobby Day at the State Capitol

After learning about (1) the Planned Parenthood action for Lobby Day via Liz from Iowa, a guest speaker at an ISU College Democrats club meeting, and (2) the fact that the State of Iowa is considering removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, I showed up at the Iowa State Capitol with 300 copies of this Sondra Wilson for Iowa Governor 2026 article, and handed them all out.

Event #1: February 19 – Vicki Hartzler @ Iowa State University

First, I would like to congratulate Vicki Hartzler for being awarded the Mary Louise Smith Women in Politics Chair this year. I heard about a banquet in her honor and the Q & A event which followed via a mass email that was sent out to all ISU students (I’m an entrepreneurship major and pre-law student, minor in horticulture). Here is the graphic that was included:

So, full disclosure, when I hear about politicians, I tend to Google “[candidate’s name] transgender” to find out what their position is with regard to the safety and respect for transgender people. It’s essentially a litmus test to find out if I want to learn more or not. If they’re anti-trans, I pretty much know I need look no further. Unfortunately, what I came across was Ms. Hartzler’s inaccurate and rather hurtful statement accusing transgender women “men pretending to be women”. I signed up for the dinner and wrote the article A Champion for Women is a Champion for All Women, printed them off on February 19, and, to my surprise, Ms. Hartzler sat a couple seats away from me at the table.

Now, I will be honest, I was very offput by the GLAAD article where I learned about some of her political positions and the harmful statements she’s made, but as she and I got to know each other, she honestly just reminded of a sweet, faithful lady who loved her students (she was a teacher), loved her farm, and loved God. She reminded me of an Auntie I never had, actually. We broke bread for about a half hour – nothing really political, and discussed amongst each other and the other students and honorary guests at the table. It was pleasant, and then we went into the Great Hall for the Q & A.

The article from by Chris Aukes from the Iowa State Daily put what happened next well, “While Kedrowski introduced the panel, someone in the audience distributed a personal essay among audience members. The essay by Sondra Wilson titled “A Champion for Women is a Champion for all Women,” called upon Hartzler to reevaluate some of her previous statements regarding transgender women.

Following introductions, students lined up to ask Ms. Harzler and Mr. Skaggs. Last in line, I requested to ask a question and a follow-up question (request granted). My initial question was “How much pressure do you experience from other members of your party to have to go along with what they say? Would it be okay for you to speak out about something you disagreed with that the party had decided on?” Mr. Skaggs said he didn’t really feel pressure. Ms. Hartzler, however, said that she has sometimes had people pull her aside and want to talk about her positions. She said that she never felt like she had to go along with things, but sometimes serious discussions were necessary.

My follow-up question was basically a paragraph about the PTSD I have, and how it was largely caused by people who attacked me but who did not know me. I pointed out that I could tell the people were influenced by other people’s words, and how the words politicians say really do impact people. I told Ms. Hartzler that I pray that as the Trump administration and news media personalities continue to ramp up political attacks and promote bullying against transgender women, that she will use her voice to speak up for the safety, dignity, and respect of all women. This is not an exact quote, however I ended it with something to the effect of, “It is possible for us to have a serious and necessary conversation about women’s sports, but it can be done in a way that is not hurtful and turn public opinion against transgender women. I request, Ms. Hartzler, that in the future, it is important that we, as women, speak up for the dignity and respect of all women.” Ms. Hartzler stated that she believed all people deserve dignity and respect, and after the event, as we shook hands and I thanked she and Mr. Skaggs, she requested a copy of the article, and I sincerely thanked me for taking the time to write the article, and for asking my questions. I felt heard, and I hope the event was impactful in a positive way for her and for the future of human rights here in ISU, in Iowa, the United States, and beyond.

February 27 – Story County Democrats Monthly Central Meeting