Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn announced on Friday morning that he’s chosen state Rep. Derek Wulf as his running mate. Wulf is in his second term in the Iowa House representing parts of Black Hawk, Benton and Tama counties. He was chair of the House Agriculture Committee during the most recent session of the […]
Rob Sand
Rob Sand chooses his running mate
Less than a week after officially becoming the Democratic nominee for governor, Rob Sand announced Dave Muhlbauer, a farmer and member of the Crawford County Board of Supervisors, as his choice for lieutenant governor. “Dave has a track record of working with everyone to deliver for western Iowa and knows it’s time to rotate the […]
Rob Sand warns Iowa is facing ‘a fiscal time bomb,’ calls for four debates with Zach Lahn
Iowa’s state budget deficits are a “fiscal time bomb,” and addressing the problem “before the bomb explodes” will be the top priority if he’s elected governor, Rob Sand told the annual conference of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) in Coralville on Thursday. ABI had scheduled a nonpartisan forum for gubernatorial candidates at […]
Saeed’s Punk Nite puts on free theme parties with games and nostalgic playlists at Maggie’s Rumble Room
Walking through the yellow-tinted double doors of Maggie’s Rumble Room, you’re likely to see a multi-generational Des Moines clientele purchasing drinks and crowding around pool tables. At the far end of the room hangs a sheet with a shag carpet beneath. Atop the carpet sits a chair, a speaker and a microphone. Before long I […]
Lahn beats Trump-backed Feenstra by less than 1% of the vote; Turek scores landslide victory over Wahls
It was almost midnight when the Associated Press finally declared a winner in the Republican race for governor in Tuesday’s primary. By that time, Randy Feenstra, the presumed frontrunner in the race, had conceded to winner Zach Lahn, and the Iowa Democratic Party and Democratic Governors Association had already sent out statements, both of which […]
Comedian Brooks Wheelan on growing up in Iowa, road-tripping with Seth Meyers and the perils of Spider League: ‘This could lead to another suspension’
Brooks Wheelan has seen his share of spiders. That’s not his job, but it’s one of his calling cards. He’s also run circles around the Los Angeles comedy scene. Running is not his job, either. I mean, it kind of was, but not anymore. He’s a comedian. And since he was born in Cedar Rapids, grew up in Manchester and is an alum of the University of Iowa, he’s our comedian.
Rob Sand sets fundraising record, reports over 10 times more cash-on-hand than GOP candidates combined; Zach Lahn outraises Randy Feenstra
Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand broke existing campaign fundraising records in Iowa by raising more than $9.6 million in the first five months of this year. According to the campaign finance reports covering Jan. 1 to May 14, which were published this week by the Iowa and Campaign Disclosure Board, Sand outraised all five […]
Republican candidates for governor talk cancer, water quality, school vouchers and Rob Sand at Iowa PBS forum
Who wasn’t there was almost as important as who was at the Iowa PBS forum of Republican candidates for governor on Tuesday night. Frontrunner Randy Feenstra skipped it, as he has skipped other forums where his fellow Republicans running for the nomination appear, but he still loomed over the three Republicans who did show up […]
Rob Sand wants to legalize marijuana, regulate it like alcohol
Even before he launched his campaign for governor almost a year ago, Rob Sand has spoken out in favor of Iowa legalizing marijuana. On Monday, the Democratic candidate released details of his proposal to legalize and regulate adult use of cannabis in the state. “Establishing an adult-use cannabis industry in Iowa would also create thousands […]
Iowa Republicans killed another legal marijuana bill this year. After nearly a decade of attempts, 2027 could turn over a new leaf.
Some bills die quietly in the Iowa Legislature. HF 2206 did this year. It attracted minimal attention among lawmakers when it was introduced on Jan. 29, even though the bill had 15 House members as sponsors. It drew even less attention outside the Capitol Building, despite the fact it would have done something polling suggests most Iowans want: legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
Terry Branstad endorses Randy Feenstra for governor, The Family Leader endorses Adam Steen
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 […]
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 […]

