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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Drey wins Sioux City special election, breaks GOP supermajority
Catelin Drey, a first-time Democratic candidate, decisively won a special election in Sioux City that will have a significant impact on the Iowa Senate and the process of appointing state department heads. Sioux City like much of western Iowa has been electing Republicans. But last night, a special election reversed that trend. Democrat Catelin Drey…
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Democrat Dave Dawson launches bid for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District
Former Iowa state legislator Dave Dawson, a Democrat, is going after the US House seat in Iowa’s most conservative district. Dave Dawson, a 51-year-old prosecutor from Lawton, announced today he will run for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, jumping into a race that’s expected to draw multiple candidates as current Republican US Rep. Randy Feenstra explores…
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Facing cancer in Iowa: Patients share their stories
Cancer in Iowa isn’t just about treatment—it’s about surviving the system, asking why it happened, and living with the aftermath. Five Iowans share their stories.
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Dubuque pastor and state Rep. Lindsay James to run against US Rep. Ashley Hinson
Iowa state legislator Lindsay James is the third Democrat to challenge the northeast Iowa congresswoman in a race pitting kitchen-table economics against Republican messaging. State Rep. Lindsay James said her “why” begins with a constituent she met on a porch. The man lived in a mobile home park in her Dubuque district, and rising rent…
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Scholten suspends US Senate campaign, endorses Turek
The Democratic primary to take on Republican US Sen. Joni Ernst in 2026 has narrowed. Just one week after announcing his bid, State Rep. Josh Turek got a big endorsement Monday morning. State Rep. J.D Scholten said he was suspending his own campaign to defeat Republican US Sen. Joni Ernst and instead vouched for Turek.…
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Iowa DOGE targets retirement pensions for teachers, law enforcement
A taskforce appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds recommended eliminating the state pension system for new employees and replacing it with a 401(k)-style plan. Iowa DOGE’s proposal has sparked fierce, bipartisan opposition. Governor Kim Reynolds promised in 2018 she’d “protect and defend” Iowa’s public employee retirement program, IPERS. Approaching her final year as governor, her administration…
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Paralympic gold medalist Josh Turek launches run against US Sen. Joni Ernst
The Iowa state representative, who won twice in Trump territory, is betting his story of overcoming adversity will resonate statewide. Josh Turek has never been afraid of long odds. Born with spina bifida after his father’s exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Turek endured 21 surgeries by age 12. He then went on to win…
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How pesticides help fuel Iowa’s cancer crisis
Pesticides are part of why Iowa’s fields are so productive. Research into pesticide exposure also connects them to our cancer crisis.
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Iowa hospitals brace for impact as federal Medicaid cuts loom
Federal Medicaid cuts are expected to strip health care from 86,000 Iowans over the next ten years. One rural hospital administrator warns the financial impact could be felt in months, not years. When Dr. Robin Plattenberger retired from her Washington County practice eight years ago, she left behind patients who depended on Medicaid for everything…
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Iowa’s abortion ban creates costly travel for women seeking care, data shows
After a 74% drop in abortion services, Iowans increasingly cross state lines for care, while Illinois and other neighbors shoulder a regional burden. Tuesday marks one year since a law that bans most abortions in Iowa went into effect, and new data reported by providers show the impacts of the ban have been felt far…
