2026 Elections
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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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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…
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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…
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Here’s who will be on your Iowa primary ballot in 2026
The Iowa Secretary of State’s office Monday released the finalized list of candidates who will appear on the June 2, 2026 primary.
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Nathan Sage drops out of US Senate race, endorses Turek
Nathan Sage dropped out of the Democratic primary for Iowa’s US Senate race, endorsing Josh Turek. This reshapes the 2026 Democratic primary as Turek and Zach Wahls duke it out to take on Republican establishment pick Ashley Hinson for the open seat. Nathan Sage, the Marine and Army veteran who was the first Democrat to…
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Hinson, Miller-Meeks, Nunn back bill that could make it harder for married women to vote
The SAVE Act is a massive overhaul of the country’s elections. Iowa’s House delegation was part of the razor-thin margin that passed it. The bill could disproportionately impact eligible women voters. The US House of Representatives passed an elections overhaul bill Wednesday that would implement sweeping regulations on how people register to vote and how…
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Iowa Republican bill would classify all abortions as homicide
Legislators have been happy to prosecute abortion providers in the past. But their new move is to target Iowans who get abortions themselves, classifying the procedure as a homicide. Iowa Republicans have been pushing for years to make abortions less accessible to Iowans and criminalize their healthcare providers. This session, however, Republicans are pushing legislation…
