2026 Election

Democrat Renee Hardman became the first Black woman to be elected to the Iowa Senate after winning a special election in the Des Moines area to replace the late Sen. Claire Celsi. Republicans saw the district as an opportunity to regain their supermajority, but Hardman had a decisive win in the historically blue district. On this politics day edition of 'River to River,' political experts Megan Goldberg and Rachel Caufield dissect this election, as well as reflect on the biggest political moments of 2025.

IPR's journalists rehash their most consequential moments of the last year — from raucous town halls to the arrest of Des Moines schools' superintendent. Assistant news director Grant Gerlock and reporters Katarina Sostaric, Natalie Krebs, James Kelley and Rachel Cramer bring us back through the biggest stories of 2025 and share what they'll be watching in the year to come.

Democrat Rob Sand is trying to connect with Iowa voters through his Christian faith as he campaigns for governor. He weaves religious references into his stump speech as he explains his positions and values, and that has drawn a strong reaction from some Republicans.

A 27-year-old from Amana jumped into the 1st Congressional District race as a Republican. Tyler Hegewald said he wants to address the housing crisis, increase abortion access and reduce college tuition.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced Monday that Iowa, alongside three other states, has reached a settlement agreement allowing state officials to access a federal immigration database to verify citizenship status of voters for the next 20 years.

Political scientists preview two statehouse special elections happening this December. Experts Jim McCormick and Rachel Caufield also discuss the latest candidate forums, health care tax credits and former Gov. Terry Branstad's upcoming award on this Politics Day edition of River to River.

Republicans running for governor and the 4th Congressional District highlighted their conservative viewpoints during a forum in western Iowa. Some candidates expressed concern that U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who is running for governor, didn’t attend.

Democrats running in the 2nd Congressional District are messaging on affordability and saying they hope to reverse the effects of policies enacted by the Trump administration.

Northeast Iowa farmer, musician and labor organizer Dave Bushaw jumped into the race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. The 31-year-old is running as an independent and describes himself as a working-class, pro-labor candidate with deep ties to rural Iowa.

Zach Lahn is the fifth Republican to officially launch a campaign for Iowa governor. He said he is his "own biggest donor" who "can't be bought."