Profile by Summer Lane |
It’s one thing to be fed up with the direction of the country, but it’s another thing entirely to do something about it.
“I got sick and tired of watching people take advantage of our country – especially politicians,” said Dillon Fillion.
Fillion is 20-years-old. He lives in Scott County, Iowa, near Davenport, and he’s got one thing on his resume that no other young man in his area likely has: candidacy for the Iowa State House.
“The only way for you to make change is to be the change,” he told me.
He decided to run for office in November 2023, after years of growing up watching President Trump unfairly blasted by the media for now-debunked claims of Russian collusion. Fillion told me he dreamed of playing hockey professionally, just like his father, before the political bug bit hard. And, while he does still play hockey and attend Scott Community College (studying criminal justice), he’s willing to put that on the back burner for the sake of making America – and Iowa – great again.
His family – a long line of old-school Democrats closely aligned with the values of John F. Kennedy – are supportive of his candidacy, he said.
“They know the people would definitely support me just based on what I stand for,” he shared.
And what does he stand for? Fillion’s policy stances seemed closely aligned with the America First platform – farmers first, economic prosperity, and enriching Iowans rather than Washingtonians or foreign countries.
“I think we should be bringing more money to Iowa,” he said.
Fillion is also a part of Generation Z, a voting demographic who is beginning to flex their political power at the ballot box – especially as the presidential election is rapidly approaching. “I have no doubt [Gen Z is] going to be active. I think my generation is gong to be the most conservative generation to come up in the last 50 years,” he said.
He said he believes that Gen X is actually quite conservative, but cautioned young people not to make the same mistakes as the generations before us.
What mistakes? I asked.
He cited government overspending as a problem laid squarely at the feet of the past few generations.
“We’re [over] $50 trillion in debt and that’s no good…I believe that the up and coming representatives from my generation will put America first.”
And what about President Donald Trump? A picture of the 45th president and Fillion is prominently displayed on Fillion’s website and social media profile.
“Trump has made Gen Z very conservative because of the policies and the kind of impacts he’s made,” he said.
He highlighted the economic success of Trump’s administration, as well as the global peace that reigned while he was in office.
Fillion met Trump in Dubuque, Iowa, in October 2023 before the caucuses. The young Republican made 95,000 phone calls during the Iowa caucus campaign for Trump as a field operator, he revealed.
“When I met President Trump, he was very nice, very cordial,” he said. “…He cared more about me than he did himself, which is one of the greatest things.”
He added, “He makes you feel welcome.”
Fillion’s state election isn’t until 2026, but the burgeoning young Iowa politician has a blue sky of opportunity ahead of him. America First has never been such a powerful movement, and if he plays his cards right and runs a tight campaign, 2026 could be the year the state house welcomes a Gen Z representative with his sights set on making Iowa great again.
You can learn more about Dillon Fillion on X and Truth Social.
Photo: Courtesy of Dillon Fillion
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