September 12 edition of "Capitol Week" is online

Roundup of Iowa campaign news

Welcome to new subscribers! My primary job is covering Iowa politics as the publisher, editor, and primary reporter for Bleeding Heartland. But since early 2021, I’ve had a side gig as the statehouse reporter for KHOI Community Radio in Ames.

Dennis Hart and I record “Capitol Week” live every Monday from 7:00 to 7:30 pm Central. KHOI rebroadcasts the show on Wednesdays at noon, and producer Mike Murphy uploads the audio files, so anyone can listen to any of the 70+ shows we’ve recorded anytime on the station’s website.

We covered a lot of ground during our September 12 broadcast (audio file):

• The passing of Queen Elizabeth II and Governor Kim Reynolds’ comments;

• The news that Reynolds has agreed to debate her Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear once (she debated her 2018 opponent three times);

• Reynolds’ first television commercial, a feel-good ad that depicts Iowa as working well, despite problems nationally (I think this is a difficult line to walk, since Republican candidates for Congress are all hammering home the message that Iowans are suffering terribly under Democratic leadership in Washington);

• The letter Reynolds and other Republican governors signed criticizing President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program;

• Causes underlying tuition increases at Iowa’s state universities (the GOP governors sought to blame Biden for not holding down tuition costs);

• Iowa’s first Congressional district: when the candidates are scheduled to debate, and my thoughts on the first tv ad released by GOP incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks (it’s important for her to talk up her University of Iowa connections);

• My thoughts on the second tv ad from Miller-Meeks’ challenger Christina Bohannan, which flipped the script on inflation, an issue Republicans expect to work in their favor;

• My exclusive reporting on Miller-Meeks using more than $63,000 from her Congressional office budget to pay for radio advertising highlighting top campaign issues for House Republicans;

• Second Congressional district: Dennis and I expect a “barn burner” when GOP incumbent Ashley Hinson debates challenger Liz Mathis next month (both worked in tv news for many years and are very comfortable on camera);

• Thoughts about Hinson’s first tv ad, a positive spot featuring a war veteran rather than the candidate;

• Update on the third Congressional district: what I expect when Democratic incumbent Cindy Axne debates GOP opponent Zach Nunn in early October;

• GOP incumbent Randy Feenstra refusing to debate Ryan Melton, his Democratic challenger in the fourth Congressional district;

• The latest tv ads released by Senator Chuck Grassley and Democratic challenger Mike Franken;

• Iowa attorney general’s race: the Republican Attorneys General Association gave Brenna Bird’s campaign $1 million, and my quick take on the debate Iowa PBS hosted Friday between Bird and long-serving Democratic incumbent Tom Miller;

The link to the whole 30-minute program is here. You can listen to this week’s show and any past editions of “Capitol Week” at your convenience on KHOI’s website.

Over at Bleeding Heartland, I hope to publish more campaign coverage this week, including a review of competitive state legislative races.