The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

MT. PLEASANT, IOWA -- The Henry County Democratic Party held an open house on Wednesday, and it continues into the Labor Day weekend.

The party, which if you compare registered voters in Henry County, is in the minority; however, that is not stopping them from getting the word out about their platform and their candidates.

At the open house on Wednesday, speakers talked about how both parties need to work together more on the local, state and national level.

Congressman Dave Loebsack, who is in an election battle with Republican John Archer for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, told KTVO during the open house that he has been working across the aisle, and his a record to prove it.

"If someone from the Republican convention is saying bipartisanship is dead, they need to come to Iowa and talk to my constituents who will not accept that. If anyone from the Democratic convention, that I will not be attending, say that, they need to come to the 2nd Congressional District of Iowa. My constituents, Republican, Democrat or Independent are saying, no, you have to put down those political arms and work with each other and get things done," Loebsack said.

Henry County Democratic Party Chair Dave Helman told the crowd that Secretary of Agriculture, and former Iowa Governor, Tom Vilsack will be speaking in Mt. Pleasant on Friday. The topic of his speech will be, "Innovations in Agriculture."