2026 Election

John Norwood, a Democrat from West Des Moines, has entered the 2026 race for Iowa state treasurer. He pledges to safeguard Iowa’s financial future as he challenges Republican incumbent Roby Smith, who announced his reelection bid in December.

Four of the five Republican candidates for governor participated in a debate Tuesday night and said they would work to make Iowa’s abortion laws reflect their belief that life begins at conception.

In a visit to Iowa, President Trump rallied Republican support ahead of the midterms and tried to appeal to voters with provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill and by asserting his support for ethanol industry priorities.

Muscatine Democrat Taylor Wettach launched a bid for Iowa state auditor, dropping out of the race for the 1st Congressional District. He hopes to stand up to corruption and ensure the office operates independently to root out waste, fraud and abuse.

Wade Dooley, a farmer and owner of a custom seeding operation near Marshalltown, announced Tuesday his Democratic campaign for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.

Former University of Iowa professor and Democrat Chris Jones announced he's running for Iowa secretary of agriculture. He will face a June primary against Marshalltown-area farmer, Wade Dooley.

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.