Meet Brian

Brian Bruening was born and raised on a working cattle, hog, and grain farm outside of New Hampton Iowa. He first attended St. Joseph's Catholic School, and then New Hampton Public Schools. Among other roles, he served as the editor of the high school newspaper and was a featured student speaker at his high school graduation.

After going to school and working in Boston for 12 years, Brian returned to Iowa in 2006, when he and his partner Frederic settled in Elkader and started Schera's Algerian-American Restaurant. They quickly garnered local and statewide recognition. Their story of moving back to Iowa as young entrepreneurs was featured in local and regional media outlets including The Des Moines Register and Minnesota & Iowa Public Television. They were also the subject of an audio documentary on NPR and the BBC International Radio Network. All throughout, they worked hard to bring recognition to their new hometown of Elkader, helping make the small town of 1200 people a destination for visitors from around the country.

Brian shepherded Schera's Restaurant through two major floods on the Turkey River, including the 2008 flood which displaced more than 40 families from Elkader and closed down the restaurant for almost two months. From the floods to COVID, Brian is intimately aware with the challenges and rewards of running a successful small business in small town Iowa.

Brian received a Bachelor in Arts from Boston University and a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Emerson College. He has served on the board of the Elkader Area Chamber of Commerce and has been a major sponsor of Elkader's Annual Art in the Park event. He has been the Chair of the Clayton County Democrats since 2016 and has talked about Iowa's political landscape in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and on MSNBC's Meet the Press Reports. In 2020, Brian told his story about growing up in Iowa, leaving the state and his decision to come back on the Midamericana Podcast, available here. 

He is married to his partner of 23 years Frederic Boudouani, and they live in Elkader. 

What Matters

• Natural beauty lies at the heart of the quality of life in our area, and as such we must do everything we can to protect our natural resources. The legislature should use its investigative powers to hold the DNR and other agencies accountable for the protection of our waters, forests, fields, and bluffs. Instead of playing defense, the Democratic Party must take the lead in protecting our water including getting national oversight from the EPA.
• I support and will introduce an amendment to guarantee our rights to clean water and air.
• Public schools are the backbone of rural communities and must be adequately funded. As such, private school vouchers are a threat to the longevity of rural public schools as well as a $300 million yearly drain on taxpayer resources. In addition, stripping funding for Area Education Association has resulted in a loss of over 400 service providers around the state, disproportionately hurting rural school districts and students with special needs.
• Access to reproductive health care, including abortion services and birth control, are human rights and must be protected. More than 60% of Iowans believe Roe v. Wade should be restored.
• Eminent domain should not be used to take private land for use by private corporations including CO2 capture pipelines..
• Gutting the income tax is a ploy that shifts the tax burden away from large corporations and wealthy individuals on to everyday Iowans in the form of increases in sales, excise, and property taxes and well as cuts to public services such as education. 
• Food security and poverty are major problems in our area, and we must take steps to make sure people have food to eat, a place to live, and access to education and safety.
• Small business is the heartbeat of rural Iowa towns. 
• Personal freedom is at the core of the Iowa identity. People living their lives with safety and dignity is the bedrock of our state and a guarantee in our Constitution. The government has a sacred duty to protect minority populations whether on the basis of  race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, physical disability, or mental disability. Any legislation that targets and discriminates against a minority group--whether it be trans kids or homeless people--must be repealed.​

Get Involved

We need your help to send Brian to the Iowa Senate!

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• Talk to your friends and family in Iowa Senate District 32 (Allamakee, Clayton, Winneshiek and Howard Counties, the top tier of precincts in Fayette County, plus Holy Cross in Dubuque County), tell them why you are voting for Brian in this incredibly important election and why they should too.