MUSCATINE, Iowa — Kim Otto, a Muscatine native and founder of Team Storm, a thunderstorm tracking team, is running for mayor.

This is his first time running for elected office.

Despite his hospitalization and  upcoming surgery at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for a bowel obstruction, Otto said he’s still very much in the race.

“I’m experiencing firsthand what the health care system is like,” Otto, 51, said. 

He said health insurance for city employees, job creation and public safety are his three primary platforms.

“It’s important to me for city employees to have a good health package.”

He is due to be released from the hospital on or before Saturday, Oct. 31. He will not be at the League of Women Voters’ forum on Tuesday, Oct. 27, but will have a designated spokesman on his behalf.

As a lifelong resident of Muscatine, Otto said job creation will help the city grow and provide taxes for needed renovations.

“If we can’t get good-paying jobs here, we can’t grow the community,” he said.

Otto said he has been brainstorming the job creation platform for six months, and has decided to take suggestions and listen to the community.

Public safety, he said, has been on the backburner “quite a bit” and he would like to emphasize its importance in Muscatine.

Otto said although it’s his first time running, he decided it was something worth trying to do.

“We need change,” Otto said.

Otto is an avid follower of government, having attended some meetings and catching all City Council meetings on television, he said. He was a volunteer with the American Red Cross for nearly 15 years.

For most of his life he worked as a general laborer and in the last year founded Team Storm with around 10 members.

“I’ve always been interested in that stuff,” Otto said of storms and storm chasing.

He said his life has been filled with “good, hard work” and his idea as a leader is to listen to the citizens.

“I like to know what I can do for the people,” Otto said. “I want to work for the people. It’s not really about me, it’s about the citizens.”