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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Recount confirms Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott keeps seat
A recount confirmed Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott’s victory over Republican challenger Mark Hanson. The votes are tallied, and incumbent state Sen. Garriott of West Des Moines is safe. Hanson, of Waukee, challenged her 24-ballot lead to a recount following election night. But the recount boards found the original results hold up. Trone Garriott…
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Sen. Nate Boulton concedes to Mike Pike following recount
A recount confirmed Republican Mike Pike’s victory over Democratic incumbent state Sen. Nate Boulton. The votes were counted and recounted. And Mike Pike flipped Senate District 20 red. The Republican will represent an area that includes Des Moines, Altoona, Pleasant Hill and southwest Ankeny. At the end of election night, Pike was ahead by 44…
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House Republicans plan ‘comprehensive review’ of Iowa higher ed
After banning DEI programming in higher ed last year, the Iowa Legislature prepares to take more swipes at regulating the state’s regent universities which add an estimated $15 billion to Iowa’s gross state product, supporting one out of every ten jobs. House Republicans plan to continue their regulation focus on higher education in the state.…
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Recounts begins: Four Iowa races head for a recount
County recount boards are recounting ballots for one seat in Congress and three in the state legislature. While recounts are unlikely to change the outcomes in most races, they have before. When races are close, Iowa Code gives candidates the ability to call for recounts, checking the math on their outcomes. As of this week,…
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Christina Bohannan calls for recount of ‘razor-thin’ Iowa congressional race
Democrat Christina Bohannan is calling for a recount of all 20 counties in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District. There is an 800-vote margin that separates Republican US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa and Democrat Christina Bohannan of Iowa City. Over 414,000 people voted in the election. And a 0.2 percentage point margin sets the two apart. …
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Trump picks Fox News host over Joni Ernst for Defense Secretary job
President-elect Donald Trump chose a Fox News host as his secretary of defense over US Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa. National security leaders reportedly told Ernst that she was a good fit for US Secretary of Defense, a top appointed position in Trump’s future cabinet. In addition to her military service, Ernst has deep experience…
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Iowa competes with Florida for most book bans
Rightwing activists are going after books across the country. And in Iowa, the number of bans is near the top of the country. An analysis of book bans in the US over the last three years found 10,000 books were banned. And nearly 36% were in Iowa. From Adel DeSoto Minburn to Woodward-Granger Community School…
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Three key takeaways from the Miller-Meeks-Bohannan results
As we take stock of what happened in 2024 and prepare for the road ahead, the results in the 1st Congressional District show some interesting trends. Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday’s election. In Iowa’s southeastern congressional district, not only do we not have an official call from the Associated Press late into the…
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Republicans maintain control in Iowa, see small gains on historic majorities
Despite some Democratic wins, Republicans carried the night. They maintain control of the Iowa Legislature and congressional seats. Going into Tuesday, Iowa Democrats had a lot to be excited about. A list of winnable seats in Des Moines. Two seats in Congress labeled “toss-ups.” And an Iowa Poll that suggested big wins for Democrats. But…
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How does my vote get counted—and certified—in Iowa?
Now that you’ve voted, how does your vote get counted? We drew a roadmap Iowa takes after each Election Day to certify its results. You voted. You did your job. With a little patience we’ll have a result. Because there is so much attention on getting you to a precinct to fill out and turn…
