Zachary Oren Smith is your friendly neighborhood reporter. He leads Starting Line’s political coverage where he investigates corruption, housing affordability and the future of work. For nearly a decade, he’s written award-winning stories for Iowa Public Radio, The Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen. Send your tips on hard news and good food to zach@iowastartingline.com.
Zachary Oren Smith
Latest from Zachary Oren Smith
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Joe Mitchell took a homestead tax credit in Mount Pleasant while living in Des Moines, records show
Where was Joe Mitchell living? The Iowa congressional candidate collected a tax credit on a Mount Pleasant property, while his voter registration, business filings, and a condo purchase all pointed to a different address in downtown Des Moines.
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Rob Sand unveils healthcare plan targeting Iowa’s cancer crisis, Medicaid privatization
Iowa’s cancer rate is the fastest-rising in the nation—Rob Sand says his plan would do something about it.
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MercyOne to close two South Des Moines clinics, citing expected Medicaid cuts
MercyOne is closing two South Des Moines clinics in June, and the health system is pointing to expected Medicaid cuts—the same cuts US Rep. Zach Nunn voted for—as part of the reason why.
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JD Vance’s Iowa visit canceled as Trump’s embattled farm bill is ‘in big trouble’
JD Vance has nixed a planned Iowa visit this week, rescheduling his campaign stop with Rep. Zach Nunn to May 4.
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EXCLUSIVE: House Majority PAC makes huge Iowa ad buy as Democrats go on offense
A Democratic Party-aligned super PAC is dropping hundreds of millions in media markets across the country, including three of Iowa’s biggest metros.
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Iowa Senate Democrats hold up Reynolds’ appointees
Now that Iowa Democrats have broken Republicans’ supermajority in the Senate, they’re using it to trip up Gov. Kim Reynolds’ choice for a key department lead. Starting in 2022, Republicans enjoyed a supermajority in the Iowa Senate. This meant that Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’ state agency appointees, which require a two-thirds majority in the Senate…
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Photos show Iowa legislative pages stuffing campaign mailers for Dubuque Republican Rep. Jennifer Smith
As the Iowa Legislature heads for overtime, one member of the Iowa House is already gearing up for her reelection. And photos shared with Iowa Starting Line show she’s putting pages to work stuffing mailers. Iowa Starting Line obtained photographs that appear to show Iowa legislative pages stuffing reelection campaign mailers for state Rep. Jennifer…
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Wahls releases economic agenda targeting corporate power, Iowa costs
Zach Wahls released a sweeping 10-point economic platform targeting corporate monopolies, billionaire tax breaks, and the rising cost of housing, childcare, and wages. Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls, a candidate in the Democratic primary for US Senate, is talking a lot about the cost of fire trucks. “In the last decade the price for a new…
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Iowa voters say clean water is a top issue. Ashley Hinson has voted to limit clean water protections
Iowa voters say clean water is a top priority. As US Rep. Ashley Hinson campaigns for Iowa’s open US Senate seat, her voting record shows a consistent pattern of opposing federal clean water protections. It was billed as a common-sense fix for bureaucratic red tape. When US Rep. Ashley Hinson voted for the PERMIT Act…
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Rob Sand unveils cannabis legalization plan, a potential solution to Iowa’s $1.4 billion budget hole
Iowa faces a serious budget challenge. This 4/20, Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand wants the state to stop sending cannabis tax dollars to Illinois and Minnesota—and instead put it to use for Iowans. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand announced a plan Monday to legalize, tax, and regulate adult-use cannabis in Iowa. Sand framed the…
