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 Smith, R-Dubuque, in an apparent violation of state law.
The photos, which Iowa Starting Line redacted to protect the identity of the high school-age pages, show at least two pages stuffing campaign mailers on April 6 in the House Lobbyist Lounge at the Iowa State Capitol.
“I hope this letter finds you well! I am finishing up my first term as a State Representative and I am excited to begin my run for re-election,” the mailer begins, prominently featuring a “Donate Online” QR code.
Pages are hired as state employees to assist lawmakers during the session. They commonly carry messages, distribute bills, and support the day-to-day operations of the chamber. As state employees, pages are subject to Iowa ethics law and the House’s own conduct rules.
Under Iowa Code, the use of public resources—including the paid time of state employees—for campaign purposes is prohibited. The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board interprets the law broadly, defining “use of public moneys” to include not just direct spending, but the use of any government-owned property and the use of staff time during regular working hours.
Iowa Starting Line reached out multiple times to Smith and the Iowa House Republicans, as well as Clerk of the Iowa House Meghan Nelson, who oversees the Iowa Legislature’s page program. They did not return comment by press time.
Smith is seeking reelection in 2026 for House District 72. The district encompasses a significant portion of western Dubuque, the northernmost section of the city, and rural communities located north along the Mississippi River.
Two Democrats are running in the June 2 primary election: Matt Robinson and Eli Licht. The winner will take on Smith in the November general election.
