Iowa First.
Not Party First.

Michael Bridgford grew up on a multigenerational family farm near the Quad Cities, where the Farm Crisis of the 1980s taught his family what happens when Washington fails rural America. Today he's a self-employed financial adviser and small business owner in Bettendorf.

Bridgford has never held office — and that's the point. He has run a small financial-advisory business in Bettendorf, and his campaign has been endorsed by the Forward Party, which backs independent candidates focused on practical governance over party politics.

Groceries, housing, health care — everything costs more, while Washington politicians blame each other and change nothing. Michael's focus is simple: lower everyday costs for Iowa families, support an economy that rewards work, and end the partisan food fights that always send your bills up and never bring them down.

Family farms built Iowa — and they're getting squeezed by lost markets, low prices, and a Farm Bill Washington keeps failing to pass. Michael will push for a real Farm Bill, open new markets for Iowa crops, and protect family farmers and landowners against policies written by lobbyists for corporate ag.

When a rural hospital closes, a whole community suffers. Michael will fight to keep Iowa's rural hospitals open and  revitalize rural health care — guaranteeing an affordable baseline of care while preserving the choices and options families count on in the private market.

Ban congressional stock trading. Term limits and  age limits. A Congress that shows up, does its duty, and answers to voters instead of donors and party bosses. Michael's anti-corruption agenda starts with a simple idea: public office is a public trust, not a career plan.

Neither. He has voted for candidates of both  parties and been registered with both in the past. He is running for Iowa's 1st District as a No Party/independent candidate, saying he answers to Iowa, not to either party.