Dems against Schumer, local election takeaways, another R for governor

Nov. 10 edition of "KHOI's Capitol Week"

Screenshots from videos U.S. Senate candidates Nathan Sage (left) and Zach Wahls posted after eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans to advance a spending bill

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Back to our regularly scheduled programming! The audio file from our November 10 show is at the top of this post. You can also listen to “KHOI’s Capitol Week” through any podcast platform or smart speaker, and find all episodes from the past three years here.

Here’s your written recap of what Spencer Dirks and I covered during the show. If your email provider truncates this message, you can read it without interruption here.

Iowa Senate contenders slam shutdown cave

The longest federal government shutdown is nearly over now that eight senators who caucus with Democrats joined Republicans to support a measure extending funding for federal programs and services through January 30, 2026. Some programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, would be funded through next September, which in theory guarantees that food assistance won’t be interrupted if there is another shutdown in a few months.

The deal does require the Trump administration to pay all federal workers, both those who have been on furlough and those who have continued to work. It restores the jobs of those who were laid off since October 1 as well. However, the agreement would not extend the enhanced tax credits for health insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act; those are set to expire at the end of 2025. (GOP senators promised a debate on those health insurance subsidies next month, but that bill probably won’t even pass the Senate, and wouldn’t be debated in the House.)

Three Democrats running for Iowa’s U.S. Senate said on Sunday that their party shouldn’t accept a deal that doesn’t protect access to health care. But only two of them called for replacing Senator Chuck Schumer of New York as minority leader.

I couldn’t repeat on the air everything Nathan Sage said about the “spineless, shameful bullshit.” He blasted “piss poor leadership” from Schumer: “He’s the most pathetic minority leader, and it’s long past time for him to get the hell out of the way. All I see, and so many other people see as well, is more lies, more failed promises from politicians who could give a crap less about working-class Iowans.”

In a video posted Sunday, Wahls said Schumer “has not met this moment for my state or for our country,” and it’s time for him to step down and make way for a new generation of leaders who are willing to fight. Although Schumer voted against the deal on the Senate floor, Wahls asserted that the minority leader gave it his blessing in private.

Turek posted on X/Twitter before the vote, “Health care is worth fighting for. Without ACA subsidies, 125,000 Iowans will see their premiums double or triple. No one in the richest country on Earth should have to choose between health care and putting food on the table. No protection for health care, no deal.” I didn’t see any post after the bill advanced, or the vote on final passage. He’s in an awkward position, since he appears to be the preferred candidate of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Sage and Wahls are highlighting a contrast between themselves and Turek on being willing to fight the Democratic establishment. Wahls was more subtle in his video: “Our state needs a senator who is not working for Chuck Schumer or for Donald Trump, or the billionaires or the big companies that are doing better than ever. We need a senator who understands the stakes of this moment and who is willing to fight.”

Sage was more blunt, saying in a statement Monday afternoon,

“It’s time for Josh Turek to join me in bucking Chuck Schumer and demanding he step down as leader of Senate Democrats. Iowans deserve better than the failed leadership we’ve seen over the past 24 hours, and it’s about damn time anyone who is asking for their support be ready to call out piss poor leadership when they see it. Senate Democrats caved and accomplished nothing because Chuck Schumer lacks the backbone to lead. I’m tired of sitting by as working class Iowans are left behind under broken promises from politicians like Chuck Schumer.”

Some Dems running for Congress slam funding deal

Some Democrats running for the U.S. House in Iowa also slammed the deal to reopen the government. The critics included all three candidates in the third Congressional district. Jennifer Konfrst said in a statement, “We need to reopen the government, but we need more than empty promises— we need to protect healthcare for tens of thousands of Iowan families at risk of seeing their healthcare premiums skyrocket when they’re already struggling to afford them. Iowans deserve fighters who won’t compromise on what they need and I won’t ever stop fighting for Iowans’ healthcare.”

Sarah Trone Garriott was a guest on Julie Gammack’s Potluck podcast on Monday. I asked about this issue, and she confirmed she would oppose this deal, because a promise of a vote on health care is not enough.

Xavier Carrigan, also seeking the Democratic nomination in IA-03, harshly criticized the deal in a Facebook video.

Travis Terrell, one of three candidates in the first Congressional district, posted on Facebook,

This is the constant legacy of the Democratic party, caving when it gets hard. This is why we need bold working class representation, we need people whose families are affected by the decisions that DC makes. I will fight with every ounce of my being to provide a better life to families like mine and families like yours. We have earned healthcare as A RIGHT, we have earned our piece of the massive wealth generated with our time and bodies. When I’m in Congress, the working class will have a voice that will never back down.

Stephanie Steiner, one of three Democrats running in the fourth district, said in a Facebook video she was “absolutely horrified” to find out that eight Democratic senators “capitulated” and “bent the knee to this Trump MAGA regime.” She added, “We need fighters in Washington,” who will “stand up to this regime” and “call out their bullshit.”

I didn’t see any comments from the other Democratic contenders in IA-01 (Christina Bohannan and Taylor Wettach), IA-02 (Kathy Dolter, Clint Twedt-Ball, Lindsay James, or Guy Morgan), or IA-04 (Dave Dawson and Ashley WolfTornabane). CORRECTION: Wettach posted on X on Sunday, “When I’m in Congress, the “deals” I make won’t leave hundreds of thousands of Iowans facing skyrocketing health care costs. I won’t abandon you because I don’t answer to party bosses or toe the line. I’ll answer to Iowans.”

Unclear when SNAP benefits will be paid out

Over the past week, there has been a lot of confusion over food assistance payments, with conflicting court orders and statements from the Trump administration. My understanding is that the estimated 260,000-plus Iowans who receive SNAP benefits have not yet been paid for November. The payments would normally arrive on the first of each month.

The good news for Iowans on SNAP is that the deal includes language that would keep food assistance funded even if the government shuts down again in late January. (That is, if the Trump administration doesn’t decide to break the law—we’ve seen many examples of the executive branch refusing to spend Congressionally authorized funds.)

Miller-Meeks finally holds town hall meeting

U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks told a group of Johnson County Republicans in August that she would hold a town hall meeting “when hell freezes over.” We got our first winter blast over the weekend, which might explain why the IA-01 incumbent finally held a town hall on Monday.

We may discuss this next week after I’ve had a chance to watch the full video Travis Terrell posted to Facebook. Tom Barton covered the event for the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

I wanted to highlight that Miller-Meeks announced the town hall on Sunday morning and scheduled the event at 2 pm on a Monday. That’s an inconvenient time for most working people, especially since there wasn’t a lot of advance notice. In addition, the town hall took place in Keosauqua (Van Buren County), one of the reddest areas of IA-01 and a long way from any major metro area. It would take about an hour and a half to drive there from Iowa City, around two hours from the Quad Cities, and longer from the parts of the district that are closer to the Des Moines metro.

Van Buren County happens to be part of the Ottumwa/Kirksville, Missouri media market, which would lower the chance of local television stations covering the event.

We’ve seen other Republicans play a similar game: U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson’s town halls in the late spring or summer were often in harder-to-reach parts of the second Congressional district, which were outside the Cedar Rapids media market. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst also generally avoid holding public town halls in or near any major metro areas.

2025 election takeaways

Democrats across the country had a big night last Tuesday, winning governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia by double digits, and flipping a lot of state legislative seats. Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election in New York City by a convincing margin. Spencer and I spent about a minute talking about what those races could tell us about the 2026 election cycle.

Although the political landscape in those other states is quite different from Iowa, I think Zach Nunn and Miller-Meeks need to be pretty concerned. Republican candidates lost ground with some important blocs that had moved in Donald Trump’s direction in 2024, such as Latinos, voters in suburbs, and young men. Democratic candidates had a lot of success with messages related to affordability, and we hear that across the board from Iowa Democrats running for federal offices.

For many years, Iowa Republicans have sought to portray Democrats as radicals or socialists. Now that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is retiring from Congress, we may hear more GOP messages tying Iowa Democrats to Mamdani instead of Pelosi or U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

I didn’t see any broad trend in Iowa’s city elections this year. Incumbents lost in some races and won others. Democratic-backed candidates did well in some cities, but had mixed results in places like Dubuque and the Quad Cities.

Rob Barron made history as the first Latino candidate elected to the Des Moines City Council, winning a three-way open seat race in Ward 1.

For the “where are they now” file: former Republican State Senator Rick Bertrand was elected to the Sioux City city council.

A blueprint for Democrats in Council Bluffs?

We spent a couple of minutes on Jill Shudak’s successful campaign in Council Bluffs. I was interested in the race for several reasons. Not only was Shudak the first woman elected mayor of that city, she defeated an incumbent in a town that has only elected two different people as mayor in the past 40 years. She did all of this as a pro-labor Democrat in a community that has trended red.

I see this race as a potential blueprint for Iowa Democrats seeking local offices, because of Shudak’s focus on local issues, as well as her work ethic. If she hadn’t knocked thousands of doors, she probably would not have advanced to the November 4 election, let alone defeated the mayor.

You can read more in my post from the weekend, and watch my interview with the mayor-elect.

Mixed results in school board and school bond elections

Two years ago, Iowans broadly rejected conservative, “Moms for Liberty” type candidates in the school board races. I didn’t see as much of that this year, possibly because there were fewer conservatives running on a book banning agenda.

A trend toward like-minded candidates running as “slates” for school board continues. The Des Moines suburb of Johnston was one example: three school board candidates backed by area Democrats and the teachers union won, far outpacing three conservative candidates lost.

I was fascinated by the school bond vote in Des Moines. It’s a big hurdle to get 60 percent of voters to approve borrowing; in Des Moines, nearly 74 percent voted yes for the $265 million school bond, despite the recent criminal charges against the former superintendent.

I had anticipated that the bond might pass if turnout was low. But this was actually a high-turnout election in Des Moines. Although most of the city council and school board races were uncontested, almost 30,000 people cast a ballot for or against the school bond. Amazingly, the turnout was higher than in the 2019 Des Moines mayoral election.

We spent a couple of minutes talking about the messaging and voter targeting strategy, as well as the massive volunteer effort that included some candidates or elected officials who didn’t have opponents. I have a longer post in progress about this race, because the lessons could be helpful for school advocates in some other Iowa communities.

While all of the school bonds on the ballot passed in central Iowa, that wasn’t true everywhere. The Cedar Rapids school bond measure fell short by around 200 votes, less than a percentage point. Dubuque also had a close call, with about 57 percent voting yes, short of the 60 percent threshold needed to pass.

My Iowa Writers Collaborative colleague Jeff Morrison took a comprehensive look at this year’s school bond campaigns. Only eighteen of the 43 measures on the ballot cleared the 60 percent threshold. Another fifteen received more than 50 percent but less than 60 percent. Click through for all of the details:

A look at Iowa's 2025 school bond referendums

99 percent of teachers union bargaining units recertify

We didn’t have time to cover this story in October, but I wanted to let listeners know that in this year’s recertification elections, 104 out of 105 Iowa State Education Association bargaining units voted to keep being represented by the state’s largest teachers union.

Recertification has become a much bigger organizing challenge for public sector unions since Republicans changed Iowa’s collective bargaining law in 2017. To be recertified, unions need a majority yes vote from everyone in the unit–so anyone who doesn’t vote is counted as a “no” vote.

These recertification votes don’t change the status quo. But I find them significant because the overwhelming yes vote shows that most Iowa educators and public school staff still see value in belonging to a labor union.

Zach Lahn launches GOP campaign for governor

Yet another Republican announced he’s running for governor. Zach Lahn says he is offering an “Iowa First” agenda, whatever that means. From Brianne Pfannenstiel’s story for the Des Moines Register:

He said that agenda includes defending family farms by ensuring Iowans own Iowa farmland; fighting against abortion; and “making Iowa healthy again.”

“I believe big agriculture companies and big pharmaceutical companies have treated our farmers and our families not as neighbors, but as numbers,” he said in a speech announcing his candidacy. “I believe it’s far past the time we break up these monopolies, defend family farms, and demand accountability from corporations that harm our people.”

You don’t often hear Republican candidates attack big corporations, so I’m interested to see whether Lahn can get any traction. He seems to be independently wealthy and gearing up to self-fund his campaign, which he says will be financially competitive with those of State Auditor Rob Sand and the GOP front-runner, Randy Feenstra.

Lahn was a state director for the Koch brothers group Americans for Prosperity in Montana about ten years ago–that could also give him fundraising connections.

Republicans supporting Lahn include Dallas County Attorney and former Secretary of State Matt Schultz and former State Senator Jake Chapman. Both backed presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy before the 2024 caucuses.

Conservative influencer endorses Adam Steen for governor

Longtime conservative radio host Steve Deace, who now has a show on BlazeTV, endorsed Adam Steen for governor. He called the former state agency director “the only candidate with the conviction, courage, and backbone to stand up to the political establishment and fight for Iowa’s future.”

Steen could use the publicity, because the former Iowa Department of Administrative Services director is not well known. Deace has a big audience, especially among evangelical Christians (an important bloc in many Iowa GOP primaries). From last week’s news release:

“Iowa doesn’t need another politician looking for a promotion, we need a man of conviction,” said Steve Deace, host of The Steve Deace Show and one of the most influential Christian conservatives in the country. “Adam doesn’t run from our heritage or evangelical base but rather stands with it. He understands what time it is in America and he’s ready to lead Iowa into the future with faith, grit, and truth.”

On the other hand, Deace endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis before the 2024 caucuses, and we saw how that went over with Iowa Republicans.

The GOP field for governor looks set with five candidates. I see U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra as heavily favored to win the primary. To win the nomination you need to be the top vote-getter, with at least 35 percent of the primary vote. Who is in a position to beat Feenstra? Lahn and Steen will be going after the same kind of voters. Former State Representative Brad Sherman and State Representative Eddie Andrews will struggle to raise enough money to finance a statewide campaign.

Rob Sand wants higher property taxes on out-of-state owners

State Auditor Rob Sand was the guest on the Iowa PBS show “Iowa Press” last week. His most newsworthy comments were about property taxes: “I think Iowa should be for Iowans. [...] The culture of this state has a lot to do with neighborliness and knowing who you’re next to, and I think having people here who we know who they are, we know that it’s not a foreign company country and that we’re making it a little bit easier for Iowans to be able to afford a piece of Iowa is a good idea.”

I have no idea how that would work. There could be constitutional problems with charging different tax rates for the same class of property, depending on where someone lives. It also seems like it would be easy for people to create Iowa shell corporations to avoid higher payments. If Sand wants to expand the homestead tax credit for people whose primary residence is in Iowa, he didn’t make that clear.

I sought further details on this concept from the Sand campaign, but the statement I got was vague:

While we face significant budget challenges and our economy struggles, out of state interests are buying up farmland and housing while the proceeds flow out of state, leaving Iowans with fewer opportunities. For the last ten years, state government insiders have given tax breaks to out-of-state corporations while Iowans have gotten the short end of the stick. Rob believes that Iowa should belong to Iowans, and that we need to find ways to keep our resources and the benefits that come from our work and our people here in Iowa to help us prosper and remain neighborly.

Nathan Sage completes 99-county tour

Sage is the first Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate to hold events in all 99 counties. He wrapped up the tour last week with events in Iowa City and Des Moines. His campaign partnered with CommUnity Food Pantry in Iowa City and the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines “to gather over 500 pounds of supplies for Iowans in need and tour their facilities to better understand the programs and services they provide across the state.”

Sage’s campaign says that since August 1, he has traveled more than 10,000 miles around the state. I expect to see lots more retail campaigning by all of the Senate candidates before the June 2026 primary.

Republicans nominate Lucas Loftin for Senate district 16

Republicans gathered on Saturday and nominated Lucas Loftin for the December 30 special election in Iowa Senate district 16. I hadn’t heard of him; he works at Wright Service Corp. in West Des Moines and is involved with Christian and homeschooling advocacy groups.

The Des Moines Register’s Stephen Gruber-Miller published a statement from Loftin, who said, “I’m running for the Iowa Senate to defend faith, family and freedom. My priorities include protecting life, lowering property taxes, investing wisely in education and ensuring government works for the people — not against them. I look forward to talking with the people of Senate District 16 and working hard to earn their support over the next several weeks.”

I live in this area and know the political culture well. Voters in this part of the western suburbs used to elect moderate Republicans. Loftin isn’t in that mold. His Facebook page includes criticism of mainline Christian clergy.

Last month Democrats nominated Renee Hardman for the December 30 election, which is happening because State Senator Claire Celsi passed away. I see Hardman as strongly favored. She’s very well-known in this area and was running unopposed for a third term on the West Des Moines city council. Another factor favoring Democrats: voters in Senate district 16 preferred Kamala Harris to Donald Trump in last year’s presidential election by a 17-point margin.

Polk County Democrats will take nothing for granted here, so I expect a strong GOTV effort.

Last chance to weigh in on future of Iowa Democratic caucuses

We covered this story on one of our shows in August, but for those who missed it: the Iowa Democratic Party is seeking input on the future of the Democratic caucuses. Time is running out to weigh in: the online survey will be available through November 15.

Anyone can take the survey, but the state party will check names and addresses against voter lists to make sure feedback is coming from registered Democrats.

Questions explore trade-offs, such as: Should the party focus on maximizing participation, making accommodations, keeping an alliance with New Hampshire, or return to the “in the room” format?

Should the IDP devote resources to the caucuses as party building? Or does that take time and money and energy away from what needs to happen to win elections?

Should the party work within the DNC process or “go rogue” if Iowa is not included among the early states?

Fill out the survey here.

Two finalists seeking Iowa State University presidency

Last week two contenders to succeed Wendy Wintersteen as Iowa State University president visited the Ames campus. We spent a minute talking about the two finalists: Benjamin Houlton, currently the Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, and North Dakota State University President David Cook.

On Tuesday afternoon the Iowa Board of Regents selected Cook. We’ll talk more about him on next week’s show. I’m not surprised: Cook grew up in Ames and earned his undergraduate degree at ISU.

The search committee considered 78 applicants and interviewed eight semifinalists, according to Vanessa Miller’s reporting for the Cedar Rapids Gazette. They selected four finalists, but two withdrew before the campus visit stage, and the Board of Regents did not disclose their names.

Since July, dozens of readers have asked me about rumors that Governor Kim Reynolds was interested in the ISU presidency. I was not able to confirm whether she applied for the position, despite many attempts! The job description for the ISU presidency said a doctorate or terminal degree was “strongly preferred” (not required).

Lawsuit filed over campaign sign restriction

On last week’s show, I mentioned that we may see a First Amendment challenge to Iowa’s law restricting political signs on corporate property. The case was actually filed last Monday afternoon, but I didn’t see it before we recorded.

Three conservative school board candidates in Johnston initially defied instructions from Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board staff to take their signs down from corporate property. After they eventually removed the signs, the board issued a reprimand.

Attorney Alan Ostergren told the Des Moines Register, “I’ve been looking at the statute for several years and just waiting to find the right plaintiffs who would be a good vehicle to challenge it.” The lawsuit claims the restriction violates the First Amendment in a couple of ways. First, it regulates the content of political speech by corporations, which are allowed to display signs for or against a ballot measure but not for or against a candidate.

Plaintiffs say that’s not allowed under Citizens United and other precedents. It has to be narrowly tailored to advance a compelling government interest.

Also, Iowa law allows family farm corporations but not other corporations to display candidate signs. James Albert, a Drake law professor and longtime chair of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, has denied they were infringing on First Amendment rights. He said the board has a sworn duty to uphold Iowa law.

That’s all from us for this week! Thanks for reading or listening.