Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch

Sen. Joni Ernst says Democrats can ‘bring it on’ in 2026 election

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch
August 13, 2025

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst has not officially said if she plans to run for reelection in 2026 — but she told a GOP audience Wednesday that Democrats should “bring it on” in the 2026 midterm elections.

“Every day we get a new Democratic member of the House or Senate that decides to run for this Senate seat — bring it on,” Ernst, a Republican, said at the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale. “Bring it on, folks. Because I tell you, at the end of the day, Iowa is going to be red.”

The race for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat has become a crowded over the past few months. There are five Democrats running to become their party nominee — state Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, who announced his race Tuesday, as well as Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville; Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City; Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris and former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director Nathan Sage. Two Republicans, former state lawmaker Jim Carlin and Joshua Smith, a previous Libertarian candidate, have also announced their campaigns for the seat.

But Ernst, who is serving her second term, has yet to say whether she plans to run for reelection. During her visit to the Iowa State Fair, over the weekend, she told reporters an announcement would be “coming soon.”

Some speculated that Ernst was considering retirement from Congress. While she raised more than her Democratic challengers who had entered the race in the second quarter Federal Election Commission filings, she raised less in the period than she had at this point in her 2020 reelection campaign. Politico also reported in July there were concerns among Senate Republicans that she would not run for reelection, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune telling a reporter he was “doing everything I can to encourage her to run for reelection.”

In recent months, Ernst has faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Her town hall comment in May, “well, we all are going to die,” when responding to a person who shouted to her about Medicaid cuts in the budget reconciliation bill gained national attention and pushback. Among Republicans, she has been criticized for expressing concerns about U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the nomination process, though she voted to confirm him.

Ernst touts cuts in taxes, spending

In addition to talking about the upcoming election season Wednesday, Ernst also celebrated some of the GOP wins since President Donald Trump was elected. Though she did not talk about Medicaid and SNAP provisions in the budget reconciliation law, she said provisions like updated reference prices for farmers and tax exemptions for overtime will help Iowa families, farms and businesses.

She also said the measure will provide “a lot of tax relief for a heck of a lot of people across the United States.”

“Right here in Iowa, if we had not supported the one big beautiful bill, an average household here in Iowa would have seen their tax bill increase by $2,060. $2,060. We avoided that,” Ernst said. “Think about all the Democrats — they voted for a $2,000 tax increase for Iowans, and we’re not going to have that.”

Turek, in an interview Wednesday, said Ernst’s support for measures like the budget reconciliation bill are one of the reason why many Iowans who have previously supported Republicans are looking to Democrats in the upcoming election.

“In the urban areas and in the rural areas, we are getting turnouts like we haven’t seen, with a lot of buyers’ remorse, of people that have said, ‘I voted for Trump, I voted for Ernst, but this is not what I signed up for’ — not for cuts to health care to poor kids and the disabled, not for cuts to food assistance, just to give billionaires tax breaks,” Turek said.

In addition to highlighting tax cuts in the budget reconciliation bill, Ernst said her work to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government has come to pass through the rescissions bill, canceling previously approved federal funding for U.S. Agency for International Development and public broadcasting, as well as through the federal DOGE service.

Ernst said heading into 2025, she met with billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as they prepared to lead the Department of Government Efficiency initiative in the Trump administration to discuss areas for savings in the federal government identified through work like her “squeal awards.”

“I was able to present them with an eight-page document that outlined $2 trillion of savings in our federal government,” Ernst said. “Now, trying to get to that $2 trillion mark is pretty darn hard. We’ve got a lot of pushback coming from the Democrats and the unions that exist within federal government. So we’re running into a number of roadblocks, but we will continue to build upon that success.”

Neither Ramaswamy, who is running for Ohio governor, nor Musk is still affiliated with the federal DOGE service, with Ernst lamenting the “big, beautiful breakup” between Trump and Musk. But she said “we still are very committed to DOGE work in the United States Senate and in the House.”

In addition to her statements signaling a campaign announcement, Ernst is scheduled to hold her annual “Roast and Ride” fundraiser Oct. 11, and hired a campaign manager in June.

Ernst said “Republicans are going to rule the day” in the 2026 election cycle, calling for GOP voters to vote and keep Iowa Republicans in power. Iowa has an all-Republican federal delegation, in addition to a GOP trifecta at the Statehouse.

“This is going to be a very big election year for us coming up in this next year,” Ernst told the Westside Conservative Club members. “So I am asking all of you, turn out, turn out, turn out. … After all of those choices have been made through the Republican primary, then we all come together as Iowa and support our Republican candidates, and we turn out in November, and we put the Democrats in their place. Because, let me tell you, I got a lot of years under my belt, and I’ve got a lot of confidence, not just in me, but all of our candidates up and down the ticket.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.

Iowa Democrats looking to learn more about the candidates aiming to become the party’s U.S. Senate candidate gathered for an Iowa Farmers Union event Saturday, where Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, and Democrat Nathan Sage gave their pitches for why they could be the best choice to unite voters in the upcoming election.

Both Democrats are running as contenders to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2026, who will compete against the Republican candidate in the upcoming midterms. Speaking before at the potluck hosted by Iowa Farmers Union, a progressive organization focused on Iowa agriculture, the two candidates spoke about issues from air and water quality, food security, and Medicaid cuts.

The U.S. Senate race in Iowa has been in the spotlight, in part, because of criticisms of incumbent U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. The Iowa Republican’s response, “Well, we all are going to die,” at a May town hall to a person saying Medicaid cuts will cause people to die gained national attention. She has also received some flak from the right over her criticisms of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the nomination process, despite her ultimately voting to confirm him.

Ernst has not officially announced whether she plans to run for another term, and Politico reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said he is working to encourage her to run. She has hired a campaign manager and plans to hold her annual fundraiser, “Roast and Ride,” in October.

Both candidates made references to Ernst’s comments, with Sage, executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, saying he starts every speech with “just saying I want everybody here to live a long and prosperous life.”

Attendees at the gathering were largely Democrats, and people already looking for their choice to defeat the Republican nominee in 2026. Ardyth Gillespie, who has a farm near Atlantic, said while she believes all three of the Democrats running for the U.S. Senate seat would be better to have in the Senate than Ernst, she was most interested in seeing which candidate could build a coalition to win in the state where Republicans have seen overwhelming victories for many years. Iowa’s federal delegation is currently all Republican, and there is a GOP trifecta at the Statehouse.

Breaking that hold and winning against Ernst will require a candidate who can find ways to build “community,” including with people who may have previously supported Republicans or who are not involved in politics, Gillespie said.

“I think somebody that can bring people together — we really need that, really badly,” Gillespie said. “I haven’t figured out who’s going to do that, but that’s why we’re here.”

Wahls said in the time since launching his campaign, he has heard from Republicans and independents who have expressed frustrations with Ernst and Republicans in power in Congress. Democrats have to be willing to “extend an open hand” to these voters and ensure these voters will be able to support Democratic candidates, he said.

“Because I will tell you, the agenda that this administration is putting forward, and that Senator Ernst has been a complete rubber stamp for, it is uniquely bad for a state like Iowa, right?” Wahls said. “… But when you talk about things like the Medicaid cuts, the tariffs, the fact that you are now talking about this mass deportation scheme, you almost could not design a worse agenda for our state. And fundamentally, the job of being a U.S. senator is to say, you’re going to have your party politics — they always have to come second, serving your constituents.”

Sage said he is coming into the race as someone who is not a seasoned politician, and can offer a perspective — and a disruption to politics as usual — that people of different political backgrounds can appreciate, as a veteran and business leader who grew up in poverty.

“I’m not your run-of-the-mill politician,” Sage said. “I don’t have one-liners. I’m not going to say things just to say them, I’m not going to talk about political rhetoric, I’m not going to joke around about things that are not funny to a lot of people. I’m here to fight. I fought in Iraq three fun-filled times. I stood up and did that. And right now, what I feel like we have a lot of people in this world that need somebody to fight for them. They need somebody to look up and go, ‘This guy’s willing to do it.’ That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Cole Lindaman, who runs an urban agriculture business in Ames and works with the Story County Democrats, said he believes the budget reconciliation bill will also have a negative impact on farms because of the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He said earlier federal cuts to local foods programs for schools also negatively impact small agriculture producers in the state, in addition to harm to people receiving food benefits.

He said Ernst has been “selling out the state” and said he is looking for a candidate who can represent Iowans’ best interests in Congress — something he did not believe Ernst was doing.

Wahls said he disagreed with U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, who is the House Agriculture Committee ranking member, for comments on shutting down negotiations on the farm bill because of disagreements about SNAP and food assistance cuts.

“I understand that there’s frustration about how they decoupled SNAP, and those changes that were in the bill that they passed,” Wahls said. “However, I just — anytime you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. And so I’m just, I’m really concerned about the fact that Democrats have walked away from negotiations, but I think it’s clear that if we had a Democratic senator from Iowa who was serving on the Agriculture Committee, we’d get a real voice in that conversation. Because right now, really, we’re not getting it from Joni Ernst or Chuck Grassley.”

Bonnie Winslow-Garvin, a 69-year-old farmer from Belle Plaine, said she liked hearing from both Sage and Wahls — but that she wanted to hear more specific policy ideas, especially on how to improve Iowa’s air and water quality.

“I think there’s a lot of people coming out to run, and that’s fantastic, and I’m excited,” Winslow-Garvin said. “And it may be hard to pick the right candidate, the best candidate. So … I think as time goes on and they say more specific things, that I’ll be watching.”

Sage said he had a personal connection to the need to improve Iowa’s air and water quality, particularly as it potentially relates to rising cancer rates in the state, as both his parents died from cancer.

“I have a personal stake in this game,” Sage said. “I’m here to fight for Iowans. I’m here to fight for workers, here to fight for farmers.”

In the most recent Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports, Sage had raised the most in the Democratic field at $709,000 from April 1 through June 30. His haul was followed by Wahls with $656,000 and Iowa Rep. J.D. Scholten, R-Sioux City, with $175,000 in the same time period. Both Wahls and Scholten entered the race in June.

All three Democrats raised less than Ernst at almost $723,000 in the reporting period — though her fundraising fell behind her fundraising total from the same time period during the 2020 election season, leading to further speculation that she may not run for reelection.

Wahls noted there is “speculation” that Ernst may not run, but pointed out that if she does run again, she is breaking the commitment she made in 2014, while running for her first term in office, to only serve two terms. In the two terms since Ernst took office, Wahls said Iowa’s public schools have fallen behind, the state’s economy has suffered and air and water quality problems have gotten worse.

“Assuming that she does, in fact, move forward with a third term, what does she have to show for her 12 years in Washington, D.C., except from all the things that I just mentioned?” Wahls said. “It’s clear to me that Joni Ernst did not change Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C. changed Joni Ernst.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Friday 277 of the 2,176 individuals identified by his office to have their ballots challenged in the 2024 general election — or not quite 13% — have been confirmed to be noncitizens.

In a news release Friday, Pate said his office gained access to the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database and was able to confirm the citizenship status of the individuals listed by the office as “potential noncitizens.”

Pate had directed county auditors to challenge these voters’ ballots ahead of the Nov. 5, 2024 election because they had reported their noncitizen status to the Iowa Department of Transportation within the past 12 years and later registered to vote. Immigrant advocates pointed out that most of those voters had gained citizenship in the intervening years and complained they were going to be unfairly subjected to additional scrutiny in order to exercise their right to vote.

Pate said this directive was necessary because the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not share access to the SAVE database and allow the state to confirm these individuals’ status. He and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird filed a federal lawsuit in December accusing USCIS of unlawfully withholding information from the state as it worked to confirm the list voters’ citizenship status.

Though the federal government has now shared access to the SAVE database, Pate said the lawsuit and a legislative proposal by his office to contract with state and federal agencies and with private vendors, to verify registered voters’ citizenship status are “crucial next steps in confidently balancing voter participation with election integrity.”

“Maintaining election integrity is a team sport, and we need cooperation from multiple agencies, including the federal government,” Pate said in the news release. “We are hopeful that between our legislative proposals and this lawsuit, we will have the tools we need to verify voter eligibility during the voter registration processes, allowing us to ensure in the future, only eligible Iowa voters are participating in Iowa elections.”

The legislation, Senate File 550, has received committee approval in the Senate but has not yet been debated on the floor.

More than 87% of these individuals listed as potential noncitizens were U.S. citizens who were legally able to vote, but Pate said the new data confirms 12.7% were not citizens. Registering to vote and participating in Iowa elections is illegal for people without U.S. citizenship.

Additionally, Pate said his office found that 35 non-U.S. citizens cast ballots that were counted in the 2024 general election — 18 by normal ballots on Election Day, 15 by absentee ballots and two by provisional ballots. Five noncitizens’ ballots were rejected by Absentee and Special Voters Precinct boards. Another 22 noncitizens registered to vote in 2024 but did not participate in the 2024 general election.

Information on these individuals will be turned over to the state Attorney General’s office and the Iowa Department of Public Safety for investigation and next steps, according to the news release.

Iowa local governments would not be able to have citizen police review boards under legislation passed by the Iowa Senate 37-9 Monday.

Senate File 311 prohibits cities with a civil service commission — any city with a population over 8,000 — from adopting or establishing citizens’ boards that review the conduct of law enforcement officers. Currently, five cities in Iowa have citizens’ police review boards: Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Dubuque, Iowa City and University Heights. The legislation was amended to have an enactment day of Aug. 16, 2025, if signed into law, which lawmakers said would give localities more time to comply with the measure.

Sen. Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf, said cities already have bodies in charge of reviewing police actions through civil service commissions. These panels are in charge of hiring, disciplining, and firing city employees including police officers. Webster said when there are issues where a police officer’s actions are under question, there is duplication happening with citizens’ boards, as the larger civil service commission will also be reviewing the case. He also said in many situations, police officers cannot legally present their argument to this board.

“These review boards have the ability to talk about officers, worry about what happened on a particular case,” Webster said. “That officer, because of his legal requirements, can’t come in there and defend himself in any way, shape or form. That’s not what the state’s about. That’s not what this country is about. … When they’re going to have to go up against another trial, to an extent, inside of civil service, there is no reason for them to spill all of their defense in front of a civilian review board.”

But Democrats, including Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, said the measure was “yet another in a seemingly unending stream of intrusions on local control” in allowing local governments to decide the best approach to police oversight in their communities. He said as a former city council member in Ames, he understood the importance of these local government entities in building trust between a community and law enforcement — and that these city boards were a way to bridge the gap between people with problems or differing views on law enforcement decisions.

“If you believe in continuous improvement, if you believe in quality control at all, you know that (the solution is) communication about these problems, building … understanding between members of the community, as well as understanding and appreciation for, and trust of, the police department,” he said.

Webster said he also supported a return to “community policing,” and that removing police review boards was necessary to do that and allow police officers to more fully participate, pointing to events like an officer going to an ice cream social.

“This is what this is going to do,” Webster said. “There’s not going to be a review board there telling them whether or not they gave out the right ice cream or not, or whether or not they did the right policy or not, or whether or not this policy should be the way that they police in their particular town. We’re going to leave it up to the experts in the room, which are the police.”

He also said concerns about opinions and voices of community members not being heard with the removal of police review boards could be addressed by adding these members to a city’s civil service commission.

The legislation also makes some changes to city civil service commissions, including raising the number of people on these commissions from a minimum of three members to having between five to seven members. It would require cities to hire outside counsel or attorneys when disputes between the city council and civil service commission involve a conflict of interest, and states that attorneys who have represented the commission, including a city attorney or assistant city attorney, cannot represent the city or its employees in appeals before the civil service board.

While current law already allows for civil service commissions’ decisions to be appealed in court, the bill would allow for a trial de novo — meaning a case that would create a fresh determination of evidence and law without reference to previous cases — at the district court level. Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner said the bill “overly complicates a process that’s already taking place in in most communities,” saying this provision would functionally duplicate the attorney fees, discovery and presentation of evidence for issues that have already had substantial time and resources put into the case in court.

“Of course, I want everyone to have due process,” Weiner said. “It just seems like this is adding layers that are going to be expensive and difficult without necessarily changing outcomes.”

Webster said ensuring police are given due process in these instances is necessary to protect law enforcement officers. He said citizens’ review boards in particular are a concern because they are used as a political cudgel against police, linking these city government bodies to the “defund the police” movement that grew in popularity during the 2020 protests after the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer.

“These far left ideas endanger officers,” Webster said. “They destroy the rule of law in our in our country. And colleagues, today we get to vote to defend our law enforcement from political interventions from citizen review boards and the media frenzy that goes along with them. We’ve all seen how that particular frenzy can ignore the truth, ignore the facts, and instead show public opinion leading to unwarranted prosecutions of front line defenders more akin to witch hunts than real justice.”

The measure moves to the House for further consideration. The Senate bill’s companion, House File 641, is available for floor debate.

The Iowa House and Senate, working simultaneously Thursday, passed a bill removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. It is the first bill of the 2025 legislative session to reach Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk.

The Senate voted 33-15 and the House 60-36 in favor of Senate File 418, a bill that would amend parts of Iowa Code providing protections against discrimination in areas like employment, housing, public accommodations and education, to no longer include “gender identity” from these civil rights sections.

The bill would also change language defining “sex” and “gender” in Iowa law and would remove the ability for a transgender person to change the sex designated on their birth certificate after receiving gender-affirming surgery or other related treatment from a licensed medical provider.

Hundreds of Iowans filled the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol, chanting and holding signs that called for lawmakers to reject the measure. Some opponents to the legislation were removed from chamber galleries for disruptive actions.

Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said gender identity protections added in 2007 to the Iowa Civil Rights Act conflict with laws passed by Republican lawmakers in recent years on issues like transgender women competing in women’s sports and the ability of transgender people to use school bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity, and repealing these civil rights protections was a necessary step to ensure such laws can survive court challenges.

“When we look across the country, what do we see? Twenty-eight states do not have this special recognition in law,” Schultz said. “Among the states, Iowa finds itself in a peculiar spot. We are the only state to have the words ‘gender identity’ in code alongside legal protections for women’s bathrooms, sports and for children from mutilation and attempts to protect taxpayers. This cannot stand.”

House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said Iowa would also be in a unique position in being the first state in the nation to strip a group of people of their protected class status in a state civil rights code.

“We’ve never done it before – no one in the country has ever done this before,” Konfrst said. “We would be the first state in the country to take away rights from a protected class. So we don’t know what the impact will be. So don’t tell us we’re overreacting.”

Currently, there are 23 states, including Iowa, with state protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner said Iowa lawmakers were elected to pass laws for Iowa, and that comparisons should not be made on the basis of other states’ civil rights code. Weiner said this legislation will not stop legal challenges to other Iowa laws related to transgender people.

“You have already passed the bills to do what you want,” Weiner said. “But this won’t stop the lawsuits. It will, in fact, create more causes of action. You’ll hear that there’s no slippery slope, it’s a figment of our imagination. You may think that I have a wild imagination, Mr. President, but what I actually have is a logical, legally trained mind. But you’re right on one count, there will be no slippery slope, because we’ll already be there right at the bottom of the slope. Because including gender in the Civil Rights Code as a right, freely given in 2007 (versus) removing it now are two very different votes.”

Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, D-Hiawatha, the first transgender Iowan elected to the Legislature, shared her story of facing discrimination in her business career and in housing after coming out as transgender.

“This bill revokes protections to our jobs, our homes and our ability to access credit,” Wichtendahl said. “In other words, it deprives us of our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. I bring this up because the purpose of this bill, and the purpose of every anti-trans bill, is to further erase us from public life and to stigmatize our existence. The sum total of every anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bill is to make our existence illegal, to force us back into the closet. If we want jobs or a place to live, we have to go back, is what they’re telling us. Because the authors of these bills wish us every harm. … It is far past time these anti-trans bills be placed into the dustbin of history.”

Democrats introduced amendments in both chambers that would change sections of the bill specifically removing “gender identity” from protections related to access to credit, housing and employment. All of the amendments were voted down.

Schultz called for the Senate to resist these amendments because it would create conflicts within Iowa Code. Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, asked Schultz to clarify if he supported a person being discriminated against in areas like credit because they are transgender.

“I resist anybody, discriminating against anybody, insulting anybody, doing anything wrong against anybody,” Schultz said. “But this bill addresses protecting women and children and taxpayers.”

Schultz did not respond “yes” or “no” when asked if he approved of a person being denied access to credit based on their gender identity.

“If the senator from Crawford believes that it is morally correct to deny transgender Iowans access to credit because they are or are perceived to be transgender, he should have the courage of his convictions to say that on the floor of the state Senate,” Wahls said. “The refusal to actually answer the question, to actually engage in debate and conversation on this topic, is beneath the dignity of this chamber.”

An amendment introduced by 10 House Republicans removing sections of the bill repealing bans on gender identity discrimination for housing and credit was withdrawn.

Rep. Sean Bagniewski, D-Des Moines, and other Democrats speaking on the House floor urged his colleagues, especially those in the majority party, to reject the “dangerous and unconstitutional bill.”

“We have partisan support for this bill, but we also have bipartisan opposition to it,” Bagniewski said. “And for the folks from both parties who are considering voting against us today, you are seen. Iowans are proud of you. I’m proud of you. I’m proud to be your colleague.”

Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, said people who used the state’s motto, “our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain” to criticize the measure should ask whether they believed women are entitled to these rights and liberties as well.

“It is basic to me, in my opinion, that the party that championed women’s rights for decades now turns a blind eye to the fact that they are being erased,” he said. “Discrimination in any form is unacceptable, but yet, apparently, it is acceptable against women in this context. It’s been described as a hateful bill. Why don’t women matter?”

Konfrst decried attempts to label the bill as a “women’s rights” measure.

“I’ve heard a lot about how this bill will protect women,” Konfrst said. “With all due respect, as someone who has fought for women’s rights my entire life, I don’t need your protection. I don’t need you to protect me. I need you to protect all Iowans, because that is what we are here to do.”

Iowans speak out at public hearing

The House Judiciary Committee heard from Iowans about the measure in a public hearing Thursday morning. A large crowd gathered outside and many of the speakers at the hearing said the measure will give legal coverage for more discrimination, harassment of transgender people in the state.Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, D-Hiawatha, the first transgender Iowan elected to the Legislature, shared her story of facing discrimination in her business career and in housing after coming out as transgender.

“This bill revokes protections to our jobs, our homes and our ability to access credit,” Wichtendahl said. “In other words, it deprives us of our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. I bring this up because the purpose of this bill, and the purpose of every anti-trans bill, is to further erase us from public life and to stigmatize our existence. The sum total of every anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bill is to make our existence illegal, to force us back into the closet. If we want jobs or a place to live, we have to go back, is what they’re telling us. Because the authors of these bills wish us every harm. … It is far past time these anti-trans bills be placed into the dustbin of history.”

Democrats introduced amendments in both chambers that would change sections of the bill specifically removing “gender identity” from protections related to access to credit, housing and employment. All of the amendments were voted down.

Schultz called for the Senate to resist these amendments because it would create conflicts within Iowa Code. Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, asked Schultz to clarify if he supported a person being discriminated against in areas like credit because they are transgender.

“I resist anybody, discriminating against anybody, insulting anybody, doing anything wrong against anybody,” Schultz said. “But this bill addresses protecting women and children and taxpayers.”

Schultz did not respond “yes” or “no” when asked if he approved of a person being denied access to credit based on their gender identity.

“If the senator from Crawford believes that it is morally correct to deny transgender Iowans access to credit because they are or are perceived to be transgender, he should have the courage of his convictions to say that on the floor of the state Senate,” Wahls said. “The refusal to actually answer the question, to actually engage in debate and conversation on this topic, is beneath the dignity of this chamber.”

An amendment introduced by 10 House Republicans removing sections of the bill repealing bans on gender identity discrimination for housing and credit was withdrawn.

Rep. Sean Bagniewski, D-Des Moines, and other Democrats speaking on the House floor urged his colleagues, especially those in the majority party, to reject the “dangerous and unconstitutional bill.”

“We have partisan support for this bill, but we also have bipartisan opposition to it,” Bagniewski said. “And for the folks from both parties who are considering voting against us today, you are seen. Iowans are proud of you. I’m proud of you. I’m proud to be your colleague.”

Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, said people who used the state’s motto, “our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain” to criticize the measure should ask whether they believed women are entitled to these rights and liberties as well.

“It is basic to me, in my opinion, that the party that championed women’s rights for decades now turns a blind eye to the fact that they are being erased,” he said. “Discrimination in any form is unacceptable, but yet, apparently, it is acceptable against women in this context. It’s been described as a hateful bill. Why don’t women matter?”

Konfrst decried attempts to label the bill as a “women’s rights” measure.

“I’ve heard a lot about how this bill will protect women,” Konfrst said. “With all due respect, as someone who has fought for women’s rights my entire life, I don’t need your protection. I don’t need you to protect me. I need you to protect all Iowans, because that is what we are here to do.”

Iowans speak out at public hearing

The House Judiciary Committee heard from Iowans about the measure in a public hearing Thursday morning. A large crowd gathered outside and many of the speakers at the hearing said the measure will give legal coverage for more discrimination, harassment of transgender people in the state.

Supporters of the bill cited the need to protect from court challenges state laws like bathroom bills and restrictions on participation of transgender athletes.

Danny Carroll with the Family Leader, said the measure was necessary because of the “unintended consequences” caused by the addition of gender identity to the civil rights code in 2007, highlighting cases like court decisions on overriding a state law prohibiting Medicaid coverage for gender-confirmation surgery or allowing transgender women to be allowed in women’s shelters or correctional facilities.

“They probably did not anticipate the legal complaints that would be filed against businesses because they believe sex is limited to a man and a woman and they act accordingly,” Carroll said. “And finally, anticipating the level of legal complaints filed against an employer because they want to conduct their business according to the traditional understanding of male or female. There’s still many rights that are retained, all the rights and freedoms that we’ve already had.”

Opponents of the bill said the removal of these civil rights protections would lead to real discrimination against transgender Iowans.

Devin Kelly, a civil rights attorney, shared a story about representing a transgender man in a rural community who faced employment discrimination because he was transgender. The client, who Kelly referred to as Steven, applied for a vacant position, and after checking on his application, was called by the incorrect name and told the position was filled. When he had friends call back to ask about the position, they were told the position was still open.

“This is the type of thing that gender identity in the Civil Rights Court protects,” Kelly said. “It protects people working hard across the state, in rural communities — some of you might not even know — but are just trying to make a life for themselves and their families and serve their communities.”

Ray Simmons of Red Oak, pastor of the Ascension Reformed Church, said Iowa’s current civil rights code “does not fit” Iowa.

“Based on the recent election, Iowa and (those) like in my county would want you to pass this bill, because our current code does not fit the election mandate,” Simmons said. “… I would recommend listening to your constituents. Secondly … our current code does not fit with the rest of the code. God would have us to make codes that are consistent and protecting children, upholding religious freedom.”

He and several other supporters of the bill also said that their opposition to gender identity being protected under Iowa Code was rooted in their religious beliefs that God made two sexes. But several religious leaders spoke against the measure, saying that removing protections from a group of people who already face significant hardships and hate is not in line with their religious beliefs.

Rt. Rev. Betsey Monnot, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, said Jesus taught to treat others how you would want to be treated, saying this means “if you would not want the government to remove your civil rights, do not remove the civil rights of others.”

“Transgender Iowans are members of my congregations and members of communities across the state of Iowa,” Monnot said. “They are your neighbors and my neighbors. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is unthinkable to remove civil rights and legal protections from people that we love.”

What comes next?

Reynolds did not respond to requests for comment on whether she plans to sign the legislation. However, there were multiple discussions at the Statehouse signaling that Reynolds supported the move to remove gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. One Iowa, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, stated in a news release from late January that “multiple independent sources” confirmed the governor was considering introducing such legislation.

If the measure is signed into law, it will likely face legal challenges. In discussions on this bill and a similar 2024 measure, Pete McRoberts with the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa said U.S. Supreme Court precedent has found that when a legislature voluntarily grants protected status to a group when it is not obligated to, removing those protections violates the Equal Protections Clause under the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

Despite any court decisions on the constitutionality of a move to repeal gender identity protections from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, there are also some protections against discrimination on the basis of gender identity in federal court precedent. In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled protections against sex discrimination also applied to discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.

But Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny, said Iowa Civil Rights Act protections were still necessary because there is not a guarantee that this Supreme Court decision will stand.

“The makeup of the court has changed in the last five years, and without gender identity specifically in the Civil Rights Code, a decision can be overturned,” Matson said. “And this court hasn’t exactly followed precedent.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch

February 25, 2025

Iowans weighed in for the second day of public input on a bill to remove gender identity as a protected class from the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

A Senate subcommittee convened Tuesday to discuss Senate File 418. It’s a companion bill to a bill advanced Monday by the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation would remove “gender identity” protections from discrimination in housing, employment, wages and public accommodations from the state’s civil rights code, in addition to removing transgender Iowans’ ability to change their sex designation on a birth certificate after receiving medical transition care.

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Many of the same speakers who addressed House lawmakers Monday repeated their points to senators at the Tuesday subcommittee meeting. While there was still a large crowd gathered at the Iowa State Capitol in opposition to the measure, protesters could not be heard chanting over speakers’ comments during the meeting.

Several speakers brought up concerns about transgender women participating in women’s sports and using women’s restrooms as reasons why the legislation removing gender identity protections from the Civil Rights Act was necessary. While Iowa has passed laws on these subjects in recent years, supporters of the bill said these provisions were at risk as they could be deemed discriminatory because of gender identity protections in the state Civil Rights Act.

Deb Davis of Johnston said though some transgender people and allies “may not think they are pushing their views on others,” that they are doing so by allowing transgender women in women’s restrooms and allowing them to compete in women’s sports.

“Basically, as I see it, you have one of two choices,” Davis said. “It is impossible to support both, as some of the rights of one cancel the rights of others. You can either uphold biological women’s rights, or you can support those who choose to be something other than their God-given sex.”

Keenan Crow with One Iowa, an LGBTQ+ rights organization, said topics like participation in women’s sports are not what the measure is about. Crow said the bill would “allow discrimination against transgender people” and that other subjects could be addressed without removing these protections.

“You could take out any one of those components and still get what you say you want out of that bill,” Crow said. “You don’t have to deny transgender Iowans access to employment, credit or housing. This is a choice. I can agree to disagree with folks in this building about a great number of things … but when it comes to allowing people to be denied access to shelter, simply because of who they are, I cannot compromise.”

Addressing the Senate subcommittee, multiple transgender Iowans said the measure would take away their ability to live in Iowa with the same dignity, respect and freedom from persecution as afforded to others. Kristian Maul, a small business owner in Iowa, said “the ability to function as an adult is going to be impacted for every single trans Iowan” if the bill is passed into law. As a transgender man, Maul said he could be kicked out of leased spaces, denied business loans or fired from a job because of his gender.

Maul also said while several speakers were concerned about transgender women using women’s spaces, people need to understand the measure would force transgender men to use women’s spaces as well.

“Those of us who have the financial means and ability will leave the state, we absolutely will,” Maul said. “I’m not going to continue living in a state where I have to use the women’s bathroom. It’s ridiculous. It’s absurd.”

Todd Erzen, father of four daughters including Ainsley Erzen, a former Carlisle High School athlete who joined the lawsuit challenging NCAA rules on transgender women’s ability to compete in women’s collegiate sports, said that his children are no longer enrolled in the Carlisle public school system “because they were harassed by the very crew now who claims to be the victim over and over and over again.”

“That whole notion of you just want to be left alone — my children weren’t being left alone, and all they did was come and speak publicly like I’m doing right now,” Erzen said. “Not only that, when I spoke publicly on social media, as is my right to defend my family and on these issues, I had the cops called on me by teachers. I had cease and desist letters sent to me. Nothing ever came of it, because the bullying comes from that side. I think we’re done here with this game.”

The measure moved forward with support from Republican Sens. Jason Schultz and Dan Dawson. Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, said he supported the measure moving forward as it would address the legal ramifications of the 2007 addition of gender identity to the ICRA.

“While it’s undeniable that gender identity, gender expression, has been around humanity for centuries, what also is undeniable is that the legal instances since 2007 have multiplied here the last few years,” Dawson said. I do believe this is to correct the unintended consequences of those legal instances.”

Schultz, R-Schleswig, said he expected a “full-throated floor debate” on the subject if it is passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to consider it Wednesday. The House Judiciary Committee passed the legislation Monday with a public hearing scheduled on the bill Thursday. The legislation will become available for floor debate in the House Thursday.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch

February 18, 2025

Civil lawsuits could be brought against school boards and superintendents for not complying with state laws under a bill discussed by a Senate subcommittee Tuesday.

Senate File 178 proposes allowing a county attorney to bring a civil lawsuit against a school’s superintendent or board of directors if a person residing in the school district believes the school is not complying with state laws. While there is an existing appeals process for schools not complying with state laws conducted through the Iowa Department of Education and other state entities, Shellie Flockhart, a parent, said “it seems you only get so far” using this process.

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Flockhart said she is in the midst of a dispute in her home school district in Dallas County for allegedly not following a state law dealing with diversity, equity and inclusion, and that while she has brought up problems with the curriculum, that she has not seen changes despite notifying authorities that the school was not in compliance.

“There’s agreement, agreement, agreement, agreement on a law that is not being followed,” she said. “But then there’s nothing that actually happens, no resolution.”

She called for the bill to be amended to allow private citizens to bring lawsuits against school leaders instead of going through the local county attorney.

However, education advocates said there is already a process in place to report schools that are violating state laws, and that they believe the handling of these matters should remain with the state. Michelle Johnson with the Iowa Association of School Boards said to their knowledge, no Iowa school boards are adopting policies that conflict with state law — but there are circumstances where this could occur.

“The only time we think that a board would be in conflict with state law is if they’re following federal law, which prevails over state law,” Johnson said. “So maybe that’s where there’s some conflict or issue here. We think then that’s basically setting boards up to fail if they’re, you know, forced to choose between state and federal law.”

Sen. Doug Campbell, R-Mason City, said the appeals system has been tested repeatedly “with no resolution, no satisfaction to the taxpayer and the parents of our school system” when schools are in violation of state law.

“That’s what brought this legislation forth, is, we have a system, the system does not work,” Campbell said. “… This is not intended to be punitive, this is to be instructional and motivational. If we take it to the extreme, it will have some mild punitive effect.”

Sen. Mike Zimmer, D-Dewitt, said the fact that individuals may have been unsatisfied with the results of their appeals did not mean the system was not functioning.

“Just because someone doesn’t get a decision that they agree with doesn’t mean that the process doesn’t work,” Zimmer said.

The bill moved forward to the full Senate Education Committee with Campbell and Sen. Jeff Taylor supporting the measure.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat brought up as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, will be speaking Saturday at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Liberty and Justice Celebration.

Beshear was announced as the headline speaker for the annual IDP event in June, weeks before major changes came to the Democrats’ 2024 presidential nomination process. On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris to take his place as the 2024 Democratic nominee.

While delegates pledged to Biden, who overwhelmingly won state nominating contests, for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this August are not obligated to support Harris, most Democratic delegates and party members have unified behind the vice president becoming the party nominee. In Iowa, DNC delegates unanimously decided Monday to back Harris.

Unofficial delegate trackers say that as of Tuesday morning, Harris has won enough support from delegates to cinch the nomination.

Though Harris’ place at the top of the ticket looks likely, who will join her as a running mate remains up in the air. CNN reported that several Democratic elected officials from across the country, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have been asked to submit financial, family and personal information as the Harris campaign makes its decision on a vice president pick.

Beshear is one of the candidates on the shortlist. The Kentucky Democrat was first elected in 2019, defeating Republican incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin with 49.2% of the vote. A year later, former President Donald Trump won Kentucky with 62.1% to Biden’s 36.2% in the 2020 presidential election.

In the years since, Beshear has been floated as a candidate for national office — and a potential 2028 presidential candidate — as Democrats seek to gain ground in conservative states.

Speaking on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Monday, Beshear did not directly answer questions about joining Harris as a running mate, but said he would be open to discussing the possibility.

“I think if somebody calls you on that, what you do is, is at least listen,” Beshear said. “And I want the American people to know what a Kentuckian is and what they look like. Because let me just tell you that J.D. Vance ain’t from here.”

J.D. Vance, the freshman GOP Ohio senator, was selected as Trump’s 2024 running mate at the July Republican National Convention. Before taking office, Vance gained national attention for his 2020 book “Hillbilly Elegy,” that describes his and his family’s experience with rural poverty in Appalachia. Vance writes about Appalachian culture when discussing his mother’s family from Breathitt County, Kentucky, in the book.

Beshear criticized Vance’s portrayal of Kentuckians during his MSNBC interview.

“The nerve that he has to call the people of Kentucky — of Eastern Kentucky — ‘lazy,'” Beshear said. “Listen, these are the hardworking coal miners that powered the Industrial Revolution, that created the strongest middle class the world has ever seen, powered us through two world wars. We should be thanking them, not calling them lazy.”

IDP Chair Rita Hart said in a Tuesday interview that Iowa Democrats had been excited to host Beshear before there was any discussion of him as a potential vice presidential candidate. Hart said Beshear is a good example of “a Democratic governor who has been successful in a Republican state, that’s really a good message for us here in Iowa on how we can be successful.”

“Now, when he’s being considered as a possible vice president candidate, that just has really put a whole other level of excitement to the evening,” Hart said. “So we’re excited to see what Governor Beshear has to say. But I would tell you that I think everybody is pretty open minded, and (Iowans want) to know more about any of the candidates that could possibly be a pick for Kamala Harris as a candidate.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and X.

Iowa Republicans will cast their vote for the GOP presidential nominee Monday, kicking off the process for deciding who will run in the 2024 presidential election.

Candidates including former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy spent the final days before the first-in-the-nation contest holding events with Iowans and encouraging people to show up to their precinct caucuses to participate.

Winter weather across Iowa was hampered some caucusing efforts — campaigns canceled some weekend events because of bitter cold and blizzard conditions across much of Iowa. Snow was expected to stop by Monday, but temperatures are predicted to fall between -3 and -14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Caucusgoers planning to weigh in on the GOP presidential nomination must attend their precinct caucuses in person to participate. Iowa Democrats also will hold in-person caucuses on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, alongside Republicans, but no expression of presidential preference will take place at the in-person events. Democrats are holding a mail-in ballot process with results to be announced on Super Tuesday in March.

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said last week that while he expects the weather could keep Iowa Republicans from breaking their record of 186,000 GOP caucusgoers participating in 2016, he believed there would still be “robust” turnout at precinct caucuses Monday evening.

Here’s what Iowans planning to participate in the caucuses need to know:

When and where are the caucuses?

The Iowa caucuses will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15 at precinct locations across the state.

Precinct locations may be different than voters’ typical polling location. To find where party caucuses will take place, Iowans can find the name of their precinct using the Iowa Secretary of State’s website and consult the state parties’ websites to find their caucus precinct. You can find the GOP precinct locations and Democratic precinct locations here.

Party officials recommend participants get to their caucus location early to make sure they are registered and ready to begin at 7 p.m. For the Republican caucuses, participants must attend the in-person event to cast their ballot, with early and absentee voting only available to overseas and military voters.

Iowa Democrats will only discuss party business at the Monday precinct caucuses.

Am I eligible to participate?

Only Iowa voters registered with the party can cast their presidential preference in the Iowa caucuses. Iowans who are not registered to vote, or not registered as a party member for the caucus they want to participate in have the ability to register on caucus night.

To register to vote, Iowans must bring a valid form of ID and proof of residence. Voters are also required to be 18 years old by Nov. 5, election day, in order to register. People already registered to vote must still bring an accepted form of identification in order to caucus. Valid IDs include driver’s licenses, Iowa Voter Identification Cards, military IDs and U.S. passports.

How do the caucuses work?

Iowa Republican precinct caucuses will kick off at 7 p.m., beginning with party business and speeches on behalf of the party’s presidential nominees. Unlike Iowa Democrats’ previous caucus system, presidential preference expression does not involve moving around a room — instead, Republican caucusgoers will choose candidates via secret ballot. Many precincts will have participants write down their candidate of choice on a slip of paper, but caucus locations have printed ballots featuring top candidates and a write-in option.

Iowa Democrats planning to participate in the presidential caucus system do not have to attend the in-person events to participate. Instead, people registered as Iowa Democratic voters can request to be mailed presidential preference cards that are being mailed beginning Friday through Feb. 19.

The state Democratic Party will accept presidential preference cards by mail that are postmarked on or before March 5. The new system — and loss of their place as first-in-the-nation in 2024, are the results of a lengthy process by the Democratic National Committee to restructure the party’s presidential nominating calendar.

Iowans who cast a ballot in the Republican caucuses are not allowed to also participate in the Democratic presidential preference vote.

The DNC designated South Carolina’s primary to kick off the 2024 nominating cycle, but the New Hampshire primary is set to be the first — unsanctioned — Democratic presidential contest on Jan. 23. The South Carolina Democratic primary will take place Feb. 3.

When will we know the results?

State GOP officials announced plans to report results on caucus night using a web-based app. There are designated result reporters at each caucus location who will go through a three-stage process for submitting and recording results. The results will go through an internal verification process by state party staff before the results are available publicly.

While reported results will be available on caucus night, the Iowa Republican Party will not declare an official winner of the Iowa Republican caucuses. The caucus results are used to allocate Iowa’s 40 delegates to support candidates at the July 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Iowa Democrats will not report results until March 5.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

Former President Donald Trump continues to lead the pack in the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll released Saturday, but his lead has dropped by a few percentage points since December.

The poll also showed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has moved into second place, ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the first time in the Iowa Poll. The survey of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers found 48% pick Trump as their first choice candidate, followed by Haley at 20% and DeSantis at 16%.

Trump and DeSantis both fell by 3 percentage points from the December poll, when the former president led with 51%. Haley was one of two candidates whose numbers rose in the poll, rising by 4 percentage points. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was the first choice for 8% of likely caucusgoers in January, compared to 5% in December.

A majority of the GOP caucusgoers polled, 68%, said their minds were made up, while a quarter said they could still be persuaded. That percentage is much higher for Trump supporters at 82% whose minds are made up. For Haley, 63% of those who picked her as their first choice are committed to supporting her caucus night; 64% of DeSantis’ supporters say their minds are made up.

Though top-line results showed a positive shift for Haley in Iowa, she still trails the frontrunner, Trump, by double digits. She also may face problems with enthusiasm: a majority, 49%, of Haley supporters said they are only “mildly enthusiastic” to caucus for her, compared to 49% of Trump supporters who said they are “extremely enthusiastic,” and 39% who said they are “very enthusiastic.” Only 9% of respondents who said Haley was their top pick said they were “extremely enthusiastic,” and 30% “very enthusiastic.”

DeSantis’ enthusiasm grew from the December poll, with 23% who said they are “extremely enthusiastic” to support him on caucus night, up 7 percentage points from the previous poll.

Haley’s base of supporters in Iowa also looks different than her competitors. Thirty-nine percent of likely Republican caucusgoers who plan to support her identify as independents, and 11% identify as Democrats. In comparison, 78% of both Trump and DeSantis supporters identify as Republicans, and just 1% identify as Democrats.

Trump still holds an overall lead with independents who plan to attend the Republican caucuses at 37%. Haley has the support of 33% of independents, followed by DeSantis at 14% and Ramaswamy with 5%.

Issues like enthusiasm could play a decisive role in the Jan. 15 Republican caucuses. Participants are required to attend in person at 7 p.m. on caucus night in order to express their presidential preference. With temperatures predicted between -1 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit and the possibility of more snow, Iowa Republicans say there could be lower turnout than previously expected.

Though blizzards and dangerous wind chill have created hazardous travel conditions across Iowa, presidential candidates are still holding events in the final days before caucus night and encouraging Iowans to participate despite the winter weather on Monday. DeSantis urged supporters to “brave the elements” and bring their friends and family to caucus at a Saturday event in West Des Moines.

Haley urged Iowans at Saturday events to attend the caucuses and “set the tone” for the rest of the nominating cycle, according to the Huffington Post. The former South Carolina governor has said that while she hopes for a “good showing” on caucus night, that she hopes to take on Trump for the top position in New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina.

Trump, who canceled three of his four Iowa events planned for the weekend, said at a livestreamed town hall in Des Moines Saturday that while the weather is not favorable, he knows his supporters will “walk over glass” to help him return to the White House. While he has a large lead, he said showing up to caucus is important to “send the message, most importantly, for November” that he can win against President Joe Biden.

“Especially with weather like this, you just have to get out,” Trump said.

The Iowa Poll of 705 likely Republican caucusgoers was conducted Jan. 7-12 by the polling firm Selzer & Co. headed by J. Ann Selzer. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

Vivek Ramaswamy defended former U.S. Rep. Steve King from accusations of racism Wednesday after the Iowa Republican endorsed the Ohio entrepreneur’s presidential campaign.

King, who previously represented Iowa’s 4th Congressional District in Washington, D.C., announced his endorsement of Ramaswamy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night. In a video shared to the social media platform X, King said he supports Ramaswamy because he will defend Americans’ rights and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border “for real.”

“I’ve been looking for the strongest voice we have that will defend our constitution and restore the pillars of American exceptionalism,” he said in the video. “That’s Vivek Ramaswamy.”

Though King has long been an important Iowa Republican figure, his political tenure ended amid controversy for statements on topics like white nationalism and abortion in cases of rape and incest. In 2020, King lost the primary in Iowa’s 4th District, a longtime conservative stronghold, to now-U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.

In an interview with the Iowa Capital Dispatch Wednesday, Ramaswamy said he was proud to receive King’s support and that news media have falsely portrayed him as racist. He said claims made in the New York Times about King were “false factual premises.”

“The mainstream media will tell you he’s a racist, I will tell you that I don’t think he is,” Ramaswamy said. “I would tell you that he’s not, that he’s a patriot who cares about this country, and who’s unafraid to speak the hard truth and share his true convictions. … He’s been very ahead of the curve many times, he was ahead of the curve on ‘build the wall’ … I think he’s ahead of the curve in endorsing me, and I think we’re hoping to prove him right at the Iowa caucus.

Ramaswamy also said King’s endorsement comes from their shared beliefs on issues like carbon capture pipelines. Ramaswamy has spent recent weeks on the Iowa campaign trail speaking against governments allowing the use of eminent domain for companies building carbon dioxide pipelines. The government can require private property owners to allow the use of their land for projects considered in the public interest.

The candidate spoke about carbon capture pipelines at Des Moines event Wednesday afternoon, criticizing federal subsidies for the project as well as the use of eminent domain. It was the first of multiple stops on the campaign trail in the final days leading up to the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, 2024 — Ramaswamy was joined by his wife, Apoorva, and their two sons.

“You want to learn a cautionary tale of government picking favorites, they just lobby for these special crony subsidies that effectively create incentive for people to do things and they otherwise would not have done, that are actually harmful to people across this country,” he said. “Who’s paying the price? Farmers who have their land seized to say, ‘we’re going to build a pipeline across your backyard.'”

Ramaswamy has repeatedly ranked fourth in recent Iowa and national polls, behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the frontrunner, former President Donald Trump. Trump led the most recent Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll with 51%, while Ramaswamy was the first choice of 5% of likely GOP caucusgoers.

The Ohio Republican said he believed that many polls were “artificial,” saying that polls showing him ahead of Haley have been purposefully buried. He also said some polls are not accounting for his campaign’s plans to grow the electorate, bringing in new participants to the Iowa Republican caucuses.

“Honestly, much of our support is coming from non-traditional caucusgoers who are not polled. That’s the answer,” he said. “If anything, we’re going to deliver a major shock on Jan. 15.”

Though Ramaswamy regularly speaks in favor of Trump, he said he believes his campaign “goes further” than Trump by talking about issues like eminent domain, shutting down the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ending birthright citizenship. He also Trump could be prevented from becoming the GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

“I think first of all, the system’s making increasingly clear they’re not going to let him get anywhere near the finish line,” Ramaswamy said. “So we shouldn’t fall into that trap.”

Trump on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that disqualified him from appearing on the state’s primary ballot. Ramaswamy has pledged to withdraw himself from primary ballots in states that bar Trump, and repeated his call Wednesday for the other GOP presidential hopefuls to do the same.

Ramaswamy said his show of support for Trump staying on primary ballots is “just the right thing to do,” but called for supporters of Trump’s agenda to back his campaign, to ensure the movement lives beyond Trump.

“The people of this country, I hope will reward the person who’s doing the right thing, on principle,” Ramaswamy said. “And I think it’s a very messy process at the end in terms of then selecting who the nominee is. But then the delegates and everybody else will have to then make the choice who the people of this country demand.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said if he were elected president, he would not allow the U.S. justice system to put former President Donald Trump in jail or prison. He made his remarks just after the Colorado Supreme Court decision to keep Trump off the state’s 2024 presidential ballot.

“The idea that we’re going to put an almost 80-year-old former president in prison – that’s not going to be good for this country,” DeSantis said, answering a question during a caucus event at Jethro’s BBQ in Ankeny Tuesday evening.

The comments came after the Colorado Supreme Court released its decision barring the former president from the Colorado ballot under the 14th Amendment – a decision likely to be appealed to the federal Supreme Court.

The Colorado lawsuit is one of many legal battles Trump faces as he competes for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Multiple state courts have heard challenges to Trump’s place on primary and general election ballots, and the former president has been charged in four criminal cases.

The Florida governor said he believes that Trump’s legal challenges are one facet of a politicized court system and the “weaponization” of federal agencies, issues that also hurt less famous Americans.

He pointed to former President Gerald Ford’s decision to pardon former President Richard Nixon in 1974 – a decision DeSantis said was criticized, but one that was necessary to allow the country to “move forward.”

“We got to start healing this country at some point,” DeSantis said. “And I think the left, they are hell-bent on using the levers of power to go after people they don’t like and it’s got to stop. And I’m the only guy running that can conceivably put a stop to it. That’s just the reality.”

Steve Deace, a conservative talk show host, speaking in support of DeSantis at the event, said he believes that “everything they’re doing to Donald Trump legally is complete B.S.” But he also said he does not agree with Trump supporters who believe that the former president has a plan to defeat these legal challenges.

The Colorado Supreme Court decision is just the beginning of Trump’s legal battles, he said, pointing to other legal challenges in states like Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona. He urged Iowa Republicans to have an “adult conversation” with their family members who support Trump about the dangers of making him the GOP nominee.

“Here, you’re going to have a choice,” Deace said. “You can spend tens of millions of dollars destroying the dementia patient in the White House and the Democrats … or we could spend tens of millions of dollars next year trying to make sure our nominee is even on the ballot.”

At the same time as DeSantis’ Ankeny event, Trump held a rally in Waterloo. The former president currently leads in Iowa and national polls by a wide margin. In the most recent Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, 51% of likely Republican caucusgoers said they planned to support Trump in the 2024 Iowa caucuses. DeSantis came in second at 19%.

DeSantis told Iowans to not be discouraged by polling and media reports about the former president’s lead. Iowa has the “power to change these narratives,” he said, and asked attendees for their support Jan. 15, 2024 and to rally other Republicans to his campaign.

“They are juicing the data to make it seem like your vote doesn’t even matter,” DeSantis said. “Here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter what they want to run with, it doesn’t matter what they want to produce. That result on the 15th, when that confounds the narrative, that narrative is dead. That narrative is destroyed.”

Texas U.S. Rep. Chip Roy also spoke in support of DeSantis at the event, joining him on the campaign trail at multiple events in Iowa Tuesday.

Roy said he will support whoever becomes the Republican nominee in 2024, including Trump. But Roy said he supports DeSantis because of his accomplishments as Florida governor – and because he is a candidate putting in the work on the campaign trail.

“This is no disrespect to anyone: We do not anoint people,” Roy said. “We do not coronate. We elect people to serve. I have to get elected, the president has to get elected. And I think presidents have an obligation to … earn your support.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led a coalition of 13 other Republican state attorneys general calling for media organizations to cut ties with Gaza-based journalists with alleged ties to Hamas.

The Republican state attorney general sent a letter Monday to top officials at the New York Times, Associated Press, CNN and Reuters, claiming the news outlets were employing freelancers to assist in coverage of the Israel-Hamas war who have affiliations with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the Gaza Strip.

The letter cites reporting from the New York Times on Israel’s statement criticizing these four media organizations for employing freelance contributors who Israeli officials claimed had advanced knowledge on the Oct. 7 attack.

Nitzan Chen, the press office director for the Israeli government, wrote a letter in October asking the organizations’ Israel bureau chiefs to clarify the behavior of four photojournalists who Israeli officials said arrived at the Israel border “alongside Hamas terrorists, documenting the murder of Israeli civilians, lynching of soldier and kidnappings to Gaza,” according to Politico.

The news services have denied allegations that they had any forewarning about the Hamas attack, which killed more than 1,200 people.

While there was a ceasefire in place from Nov. 23 through 30, conflict has restarted with Israeli Defense Forces advancing into southern Gaza Tuesday, according to the Washington Post.

In the letter, Bird praised the AP’s and CNN’s decision to cut ties with freelancer Hassan Eslaiah, a photographer whom Honest Reporting, a non-government organization supporting Israel, claimed has ties to Hamas forces. But the Iowa AG said news organizations need to do more to ensure they are not providing “material support for terrorism” by better screening freelance hires.

The letter states that material support or resources for terrorist organizations is illegal under federal law, as well as under state law in many places like Iowa. That kind of support includes “knowingly assisting or providing money,” “communication equipment,” “facilities” or other physical assets, according to Iowa Code.

The letter also cited a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found the definition of “material support” can also include providing peace deal negotiation training, and teaching on how to petition international organizations like the United Nations for relief — as well as “writing and distributing publications supporting the organization,” which Bird highlighted as a stipulation that may be relevant to news outlets’ conduct.

“Media outlets funding friends of terrorist organizations is illegal and shameful,” Bird said in a statement. “We demand that these media outlets do their job and make sure they are not sending paychecks to terrorist sympathizers or terrorists. We don’t have room for error. Too much is at stake.”

State attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia also signed on to the letter. Bird wrote that the four news organizations must contract work using due diligence to ensure they are not providing funds to “members of terror organizations” in the future.

“We will continue to follow your reporting to ensure that your organizations do not violate any federal or State laws by giving material support to terrorists abroad,” the letter stated. “Now your organizations are on notice. Follow the law.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

Political analyst Charlie Cook told Iowans at Drake University that he believes the country will be seeing a 2020 rematch in the 2024 presidential general election between President Joe Biden former President Donald Trump.

But he said both parties may be better off if they found a different nominee. Cook, the founder and former editor-in-chief at the Cook Political Report, spoke about his perspective on the 2024 primary and general election at an annual event hosted by the Harkin Institute, where he serves as a National Advisory Council member.

As the 2024 Republican presidential nomination approaches, presidential hopefuls are spending significant time on the campaign trail. Candidates including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are barnstorming Iowa in hopes of pulling an upset against Trump. The former president holds double-digit poll leads nationally and in early states.

While there are “talented people” seeking the nomination, Cook said he does not believe the race for the Republican ticket is competitive. There has been some rallying behind Trump alternatives among some influential Republicans in early state – with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Family Leader president and CEO Bob Vander Plaats endorsing DeSantis and the Koch Network endorsing Haley.

Cook said he understands why some influential conservatives are endorsing candidates who may better align with their political goals. But he said he does not believe these endorsements – or the move to consolidate a “Never Trump” vote at this point will make a significant dent in the former president’s lead.

“The Trump people – I mean, those people are all in, and if they’re not showing up to caucus it means they’re either dead or nonambulatory,” he said. “I mean, they are committed. And the Republicans that aren’t of the Trump variety, some of them are riled up, but a lot of them are more just kind of down and pulled back, and they’re not participating.”

He said although national polls do not necessarily offer a realistic view on an electoral college outcome, Trump’s position as a former president and popularity within the party gives him a clear edge over competitors. But he also said Trump is running a more traditional campaign than in previous election cycles.

“In 2016, I think Trump’s campaign was probably better than we all thought it was,” Cook said. “But they were still really, really lucky. It caught a lot of breaks. But I’ll tell you, this campaign this time, it is a heck of a lot better than it ever was in 2016 and 2020.”

Trump’s luck in 2016 came from facing off against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Cook said, saying that voters’ distaste for Clinton had a bigger impact on the election than support for Trump. A similar situation happened in 2020, he said – the election was more about resistance to Trump than it was enthusiasm for Biden.

But polls show Biden faces problems with crucial voters in swing states, as well as with independents, Cook said. He cited a recent New York Times/Siena Poll from battleground states that found Trump led Biden in five of six states that Biden narrowly won in the last presidential election.

While Cook said he liked Biden as a person, he believed the party would be more likely to win in 2024 if they chose a different nominee. There were scattered claps in the auditorium when he called for Biden to step aside and let the party nominate a more “formidable” competitor to take on Trump.

“We just take Joe or Jane, any generic current or recent Democratic governor or senator and stick them in the nominee against Trump – specifically against Trump – that person would win,” he said. “I mean, even with all the other problems that Democrats have, that person would win because that race would be about Trump.”

Cook Political Report’s current ratings show that 235 electoral college votes are currently leaning, likely or solidly Republican, while 247 votes are predicted to go to Democrats. Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin make up the 35 “toss-up” votes ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

When asked about a potential third-party candidate, Cook said he believed that another person entering the race would likely hurt Biden, as well as other Democrats, more than it would impact Trump. Many of the moderates and independents who supported Biden in 2020 because they wanted Trump out of office are also not satisfied with Biden, he said.

“A fairly substantial group of these people, they’re not really excited about voting for Joe Biden, they’re not,” he said. “But if there are like two names on the ballot, most of them are going to hold their noses if they have to, they’re going to go with Biden. But if you give them an exit ramp, if you give them another option – if it’s even remotely attractive, enough of them will take it.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.