Elections
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Meet Zach Lahn: a Koch-connected political operative running for Iowa governor
Iowa’s new Republican nominee for governor Zach Lahn campaigned as an outsider farmer fighting the political establishment. But before he was “Iowa First,” he was a Koch-connected political operative who blocked Medicaid expansion in Montana, co-founded a Koch-funded private school in Kansas, and barely met Iowa’s residency requirement to run. A look at his resume.
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Zach Lahn just beat Trump’s pick for Iowa governor
Iowa set its November battleground Tuesday night, with voters delivering primary results in races for governor, U.S. Senate, and all four congressional seats—a ballot shaped largely by two retirements that opened the door to the most competitive statewide elections Iowa has seen in years. For the first time since 2006, Iowa’s governor’s race has no…
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Trump endorses Feenstra for Iowa governor, despite GOP discontent
Just days before the primary, US Rep. Randy Feenstra got a coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump. A leg-up for a campaign that has struggled to maintain its lead. President Donald Trump endorsed US Rep. Randy Feenstra for governor of Iowa on Thursday, just days before the June 2 Republican primary. “Randy is MAGA all…
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Hinson tells Republicans in Lake View DOGE isn’t done
At a closed-door Republican event, Rep. Ashley Hinson assured GOP activists that DOGE is still alive. Iowa farmers have been living that reality for over a year. US Rep. Ashley Hinson told a closed-door Republican gathering in Lake View this month that the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is still very much…
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You have the right to take time off to vote in Iowa
Did you know you are guaranteed, by law, to have time off work to vote in an election in Iowa?
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EXCLUSIVE: Josh Turek launches rural Iowa plan, points to right-to-repair win as proof of concept
The Iowa House just passed a bipartisan right-to-repair bill that Turek helped champion. Now he’s running for US Senate on a promise to take that fight to Washington.
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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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Opinion: How Rob Sand flipped two key advantages Republicans held in Iowa
Iowa Starting Line founder Pat Rynard breaks down how Rob Sand spent years taking two of Iowa Republicans’ biggest political advantages away from them — and why that is pivotal in his race for governor. Five years ago, I invited Iowa’s top Democratic leaders and candidates to a presentation to raise the alarm on the…
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Rob Sand proposes term limits, election overhaul as part of accountability plan
Iowa’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate wants to overhaul how Iowans vote, who can run, and how long they can serve—and he thinks Republicans might go along with it. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand is calling for sweeping changes to Iowa’s political system, including term limits, age caps, and a restructured primary election process. Sand, who serves…
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Trump tries to take control of Iowa’s ‘secure’ mail-in voting system
Trump’s new executive order would require Iowa to submit its mail voter list for federal approval before each election — a move election experts say is unconstitutional and courts are likely to block. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday targeting mail-in voting nationwide, creating new federal oversight over a system Iowa election officials…
