DES MOINES, Iowa — The field of candidates is growing in the 3rd Congressional District for democrats who want to take over Republican Zach Nunn’s seat.

Melissa Vine officially announced her campaign for the seat this week.

The single mother to four boys and WHO13’s Remarkable Woman of 2022 currently serves as the executive director of “The Beacon.” A Des Moines non-profit that helps women overcome poverty, substance abuse, and homelessness.

Vine said she started the organization after her own journey of leaving an abusive relationship and climbing her way out of poverty.

On Friday she shared the goals of her campaign.

“There are three main issues that we are looking at for this campaign,” Vine said. “The first one is access to abortion and women’s healthcare. The second one would be an income that works for all Iowans. If you are working 40 hours a week, you should be able to put a roof over your head, food on the table, and buy your kid a backpack for school. So, increasing wages and decreasing expenses so Iowans can live, work, and play. The third one would be moving away from extremism. I think that Iowans are getting fed up with losing rights and the divisiveness that comes along with that. So, if we can move towards a space of collaboration and democracy, it’s a really beautiful thing.”

Vine believes she would be a successful representative given the empathy she has for others and her ability to connect with individuals through shared experiences.

“Having been there myself, in a lot of ways, I can empathize with folks who are in all kinds of circumstances,” said Vine.