Harris Campaign Press Release - Des Moines School Board Member is Latest Iowa Leader to Endorse Kamala Harris After 5-day Bus Tour

On the heels of Senator Kamala Harris' 5-day, river-to-river bus tour, Des Moines School Board Member and teacher librarian Kyrstin Delagardelle announced her endorsement of Harris for president. Delagardelle joined Harris on her bus during Day 3 of the tour, and they spoke about issues facing teachers and public schools in the Des Moines area, as well as the importance of women running for office.  

"Politics can be incredibly personal. For me, it's about education. It's about kids getting an equitable education, regardless of zip code. But it's about more than schools; it's about strong neighborhoods, affordable housing, access to healthcare, a livable wage, and stability for children and families," Delagardelle said endorsing Harris. 

"There are so many amazing candidates, but for me, the caucus should be about who we love and want. For me, that's Kamala. She's a thoughtful and smart policy maker who genuinely cares," she added. "I've waited since I was a little girl to see a woman elected to President. I had tears in my eyes, but Sen. Harris reminded me that even when it feels like I'm alone in a room, I'm not. That it's our job to make sure we're not the last that look like us to be at the table. She's with me and her team is with me too."

Delagardelle is a teacher librarian in Ankeny, and has been an at-large member of the Des Moines School Board since 2017. She now serves as its vice chair. She co-organized the Des Moines Women's March, was a founding board member of Iowa Women for Progressive Change, and is director of New Leaders Council Des Moines, a nonprofit focused on recruiting and training progressive leaders. 

The Asian & Latino Coalition, a key organizing body in the Iowa caucuses, also announced their endorsement of Harris upon the conclusion of her bus tour, which made stops across three of Iowa's congressional districts throughout Northwestern, Northeastern, Central, and Southeastern Iowa. At each stop, Harris met with Iowans positively impacted by her "3AM Agenda" to address the problems that keep Americans up at night.