Two of the five Republicans running for governor received major endorsements on Tuesday. The Family Leader, a rightwing Christian political organization that plays a prominent role in Iowa Republican politics, endorsed former Department of Administrative Services director Adam Steen. Shortly afterwards, Rep. Randy Feenstra’s campaign published an endorsement from former governor Terry Branstad, who was […]
primary 2026
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Rob Sand is the only Democrat running for governor after Julie Stauch fails to qualify for the primary ballot
Julie Stauch’s longshot campaign to win the Democratic nomination for governor came to an abrupt halt on Friday afternoon. “This afternoon I had a call from the Iowa Secretary of State’s election office telling me that my petitions did not meet the requirements during their review,” Staunch posted Friday evening on Facebook. “Two counties had […]
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Democrat Wade Dooley ends his campaign for Secretary of Ag, leaving Chris Jones to face incumbent Mike Naig in November
Two months after announcing his run for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Democrat Wade Dooley ended his campaign on Wednesday. “This is my first foray into statewide campaigning, and it’s been an eye-opener,” Dooley said in a written statement. “The amount of time, staff and money that it takes is truly daunting. And at this point […]
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Democrat Taylor Wettach ends his run for Congress, will run for Iowa Auditor of State instead
Attorney Taylor Wettach announced on Monday he has quit the race for the Democratic nomination in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, and is running for Iowa Auditor of State instead. “These past few weeks have been an incredible reminder of exactly why I decided to run for office,” Wettach said in a video announcing the change […]
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Rob Sand announces $9.5 million fundraising total for 2025
Rob Sand, the leading Democratic candidate for governor, raised $9.5 million last year, his campaign announced on Thursday. “A majority of the donations — two thirds — came from Iowans,” the campaign’s statement said. According to the campaign, “Nearly 97 percent of contributions were $100 or less, with an average individual donation of $74, and […]
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Mariannette Miller-Meeks is no longer claiming to be a resident of the district she represents in Congress
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is no longer claiming to be a resident of the congressional district she represents in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Republican incumbent, now in her third term, has never been a resident, as that term is commonly understood, of Iowa’s 1st Congressional District. When not in Washington D.C., Miller-Meeks lives in […]
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Jackie Norris ends Senate bid, will focus on Des Moines School Board issues
Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris has dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Norris, who launched her campaign for Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat on Aug. 5, announced her decision in a news release on Thursday. Norris’s withdrawal came one day after Axios Des Moines reported Norris had confirmed […]
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Shannon Lundgren, House floor manager for Iowa’s anti-abortion bills, becomes fourth Republican running in 2nd District
On Tuesday, Shannon Lundgren became the fourth Republican to join the race in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Lundgren currently serves in the Iowa House of Representatives District 65, which covers parts of Dubuque County. She and her husband, Charlie, own the Trackside Bar & Grill in Peosta. “I’m running because I love Iowa and I […]
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Rob Sand talks water quality, trans rights and ‘tables in Des Moines that need flipping’ on the campaign trail
Not everyone at Field Day Brewing in North Liberty last Thursday night was there to see Rob Sand, something he acknowledged as he started the Johnson County stop on his 100 Town Hall Tour. Some people were just there to eat, which is why the clatter of knives and forks on plates was the background […]
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More Republican candidates join 2nd and 4th District congressional primaries
Two more Republican candidates, Joe Mitchell and Christian Schlaefer, have declared their campaigns for congressional seats in Iowa. The GOP primary race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District opened up last week when incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson entered the 2026 U.S. Senate race after U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced she would not seek reelection. Following Hinson’s announcement, several Republicans expressed […]
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Hinson praises Trump as the ‘best president in history’ as he endorses her for Senate
Jim Carlin, the first Iowa Republican to launch a run for Senate this year, has spent the better part of a decade loudly proclaiming his loyalty to Donald Trump, including endorsing the false conspiracy theories Trump favors. Shortly after the November 2020 election, Carlin, then a member of the Iowa Senate, was a featured speaker […]
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‘Stay tuned!’: Republicans tease 2nd District campaign announcements after Hinson’s jump to Senate race
Following incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s Senate campaign launch, some Republicans, including former U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, have hinted they are planning to run for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in 2026. Hinson, who has represented the northeast Iowa district for three terms, announced Tuesday she would run for Senate, shortly after U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst […]
