River to River

Key candidates missing from Iowa gubernatorial debate

By Ben Kieffer,

Published April 30, 2026 at 7:00 AM CDT

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King Charles III delivered a pointed address to Congress, a gunman in Washington faces federal charges and key candidates skip a GOP gubernatorial debate. On this Politics Day edition of River to River, political scientists Jim McCormick of Iowa State University and Megan Goldberg of Cornell College break down the latest in Washington and abroad.

Guests:

Megan Goldberg, associate professor of political science, Cornell College
Jim McCormick, professor emeritus of political science, Iowa State University

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Ben Kieffer

Ben Kieffer is the host of "River to River." Since 2007, Kieffer has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Kieffer has a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.

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Dani Gehr

Dani Gehr is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University. Since 2022, Gehr has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.

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Zoe Bentler

Zoe Bentler is a 2025 fall intern with IPR's talk show team and a senior at the University of Iowa studying journalism and sport, media and culture with a minor in dance. She is originally from Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Her favorite things include keeping up with the current fashion world and cheering on the Iowa Hawkeye sports teams.

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