Zachary Oren Smith
@zacharyos.bsky.social
Just your friendly neighborhood reporter ● Writes about Iowa politics for @iastartingline ● Host of Cornhole Champions, your new fav Iowa podcast
WHITVER TO RETIRE - Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, a Republican from Grimes, will not run for reelection. He said he’ll continue to see as Leader until Senate Republicans meet to select a new leader in the “near future.”
Here’s the full release:
Here’s the full release:
September 16, 2025 at 9:08 PM
WHITVER TO RETIRE - Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, a Republican from Grimes, will not run for reelection. He said he’ll continue to see as Leader until Senate Republicans meet to select a new leader in the “near future.”
Here’s the full release:
Here’s the full release:
In response to the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all flags at half-staff immediately until Sunday in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s flag order.
September 10, 2025 at 10:39 PM
In response to the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all flags at half-staff immediately until Sunday in conjunction with President Donald Trump’s flag order.
UPDATE: It’s private now.
September 4, 2025 at 9:13 PM
UPDATE: It’s private now.
HINSON 4 SENATE - Republican US Rep. Ashley Hinson to run for US Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat. Ernst announced today that she would not run for reelection.
September 2, 2025 at 9:14 PM
HINSON 4 SENATE - Republican US Rep. Ashley Hinson to run for US Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat. Ernst announced today that she would not run for reelection.
ERNST TO RETIRE - Today, US SEN. Joni Ernst announced she will not run for reelection in 2026. Full video from twitter:
September 2, 2025 at 5:11 PM
ERNST TO RETIRE - Today, US SEN. Joni Ernst announced she will not run for reelection in 2026. Full video from twitter:
Source pointed out Iowa rarely has an open US Senate seat. This would be the third in the last half century, providing retirement report is true:
🗳️2026 - ???
🗳️2014 - Tom Harkin retires. Ernst wins. (D➡️R)
🗳️1974 - Harold Hughes retires. Culver* wins. (D➡️D)
🗳️2026 - ???
🗳️2014 - Tom Harkin retires. Ernst wins. (D➡️R)
🗳️1974 - Harold Hughes retires. Culver* wins. (D➡️D)
August 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Source pointed out Iowa rarely has an open US Senate seat. This would be the third in the last half century, providing retirement report is true:
🗳️2026 - ???
🗳️2014 - Tom Harkin retires. Ernst wins. (D➡️R)
🗳️1974 - Harold Hughes retires. Culver* wins. (D➡️D)
🗳️2026 - ???
🗳️2014 - Tom Harkin retires. Ernst wins. (D➡️R)
🗳️1974 - Harold Hughes retires. Culver* wins. (D➡️D)
DREY BREAKS SUPERMAJORITY - Democrat Catelin Drey wins special election for Sioux City seat in Iowa Senate. That puts the Iowa Senate’s split is 33-17.
Tonight, Republicans lost their supermajority in the Iowa Senate.
Tonight, Republicans lost their supermajority in the Iowa Senate.
August 27, 2025 at 1:39 AM
DREY BREAKS SUPERMAJORITY - Democrat Catelin Drey wins special election for Sioux City seat in Iowa Senate. That puts the Iowa Senate’s split is 33-17.
Tonight, Republicans lost their supermajority in the Iowa Senate.
Tonight, Republicans lost their supermajority in the Iowa Senate.
Join me tomorrow morning. The great @laurarbelin.bsky.social and I will be breaking down the results of tonight's special election in Sioux City for Iowa Senate District 1:
🔵 Catelin Drey
🔴 Christopher Prosch
We'll go live at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning on my Substack. Link in the bio.
🔵 Catelin Drey
🔴 Christopher Prosch
We'll go live at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning on my Substack. Link in the bio.
August 26, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Join me tomorrow morning. The great @laurarbelin.bsky.social and I will be breaking down the results of tonight's special election in Sioux City for Iowa Senate District 1:
🔵 Catelin Drey
🔴 Christopher Prosch
We'll go live at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning on my Substack. Link in the bio.
🔵 Catelin Drey
🔴 Christopher Prosch
We'll go live at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning on my Substack. Link in the bio.
same energy www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/h...
August 12, 2025 at 2:59 PM
same energy www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/h...
This was a district that Trump pulled both years; no small feat for an Iowa Democrat. As the party looks optimistically to 2026, I think it's safe to say that Turek's record here is one they are thinking about.
August 12, 2025 at 1:03 PM
This was a district that Trump pulled both years; no small feat for an Iowa Democrat. As the party looks optimistically to 2026, I think it's safe to say that Turek's record here is one they are thinking about.
- Born with spina bifida after his father’s exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam
- 21 surgeries by age 12
- two Paralympic gold medals for Team USA...
It's compelling.
- 21 surgeries by age 12
- two Paralympic gold medals for Team USA...
It's compelling.
August 12, 2025 at 1:03 PM
- Born with spina bifida after his father’s exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam
- 21 surgeries by age 12
- two Paralympic gold medals for Team USA...
It's compelling.
- 21 surgeries by age 12
- two Paralympic gold medals for Team USA...
It's compelling.
TUREK 4 IOWA - Paralympic gold medalist and State Rep. Josh Turek has entered™️ the 2026 race to unseat US Sen. Joni Ernst. It's been an open secret that Turek was running. He joins a crowded Democratic primary.
Let's talk about three things that make his bid interesting:
Let's talk about three things that make his bid interesting:
August 12, 2025 at 1:03 PM
TUREK 4 IOWA - Paralympic gold medalist and State Rep. Josh Turek has entered™️ the 2026 race to unseat US Sen. Joni Ernst. It's been an open secret that Turek was running. He joins a crowded Democratic primary.
Let's talk about three things that make his bid interesting:
Let's talk about three things that make his bid interesting:
🎥 Before going on, he told reporters: " (Democrats) need to be winning in Iowa. We need to be winning in Nebraska. We need to be winning in Texas. ...in order for us to turn this around... I need to have partners here." 10/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:23 AM
🎥 Before going on, he told reporters: " (Democrats) need to be winning in Iowa. We need to be winning in Nebraska. We need to be winning in Texas. ...in order for us to turn this around... I need to have partners here." 10/10
His message to Democrats: " Iowa and Arizona are very much alike. Where you guys are as a party is where we were not too long ago." 9/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:23 AM
His message to Democrats: " Iowa and Arizona are very much alike. Where you guys are as a party is where we were not too long ago." 9/10
🎥 He's arguing that Democrats should aim to bridge the partisan divide with polices that help working people: "The people that are gonna get hurt the most from Medicaid cuts are going to be our fellow Republicans, but we're still willing to go fight for them." 8/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:22 AM
🎥 He's arguing that Democrats should aim to bridge the partisan divide with polices that help working people: "The people that are gonna get hurt the most from Medicaid cuts are going to be our fellow Republicans, but we're still willing to go fight for them." 8/10
🎥 Gallego on grocery prices and cuts to food assistance: "People are taking out loans to pay for groceries. They're using Afterpay for groceries. And this administration decided to cut food stamps to fund bigger tax cuts for the super rich." 7/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:21 AM
🎥 Gallego on grocery prices and cuts to food assistance: "People are taking out loans to pay for groceries. They're using Afterpay for groceries. And this administration decided to cut food stamps to fund bigger tax cuts for the super rich." 7/10
🎥 Gallego on the Trump Administration's Epstein scandal: " These poor girls are being revictimized by this administration again. ... We need to continue to push forward to protect them, to fight for them because they, they didn't get that when it happened." 6/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:20 AM
🎥 Gallego on the Trump Administration's Epstein scandal: " These poor girls are being revictimized by this administration again. ... We need to continue to push forward to protect them, to fight for them because they, they didn't get that when it happened." 6/10
🎥 Gallego on Republican power grabs: "They're doing mid-decade redistricting all over the country to preserve their power because they know what they're doing is harmful. Instead of changing course, they're trying to change voters." 5/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:18 AM
🎥 Gallego on Republican power grabs: "They're doing mid-decade redistricting all over the country to preserve their power because they know what they're doing is harmful. Instead of changing course, they're trying to change voters." 5/10
🎥 Gallego didn't mince words on GOP priorities: "They actively said, we are going to cut millions of people off Medicaid in order to fund tax cuts for the richest. How sick is that?" 4/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:17 AM
🎥 Gallego didn't mince words on GOP priorities: "They actively said, we are going to cut millions of people off Medicaid in order to fund tax cuts for the richest. How sick is that?" 4/10
🎥 He painted a stark picture for young Americans: "The answer has to be that we're going to bring you the same opportunity that your parents had, ... because this generation ... just below me is going to be the first generation that's going to do worse than their kids." 3/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:16 AM
🎥 He painted a stark picture for young Americans: "The answer has to be that we're going to bring you the same opportunity that your parents had, ... because this generation ... just below me is going to be the first generation that's going to do worse than their kids." 3/10
🎥 He spoke about meeting a JBS worker in Marshalltown: "The reason she takes pride in her job is because 'I know if I go to work, I can give my kids a better future.' Yeah, we need to be the party for that woman. If we're the party for that woman, we win." 2/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:15 AM
🎥 He spoke about meeting a JBS worker in Marshalltown: "The reason she takes pride in her job is because 'I know if I go to work, I can give my kids a better future.' Yeah, we need to be the party for that woman. If we're the party for that woman, we win." 2/10
GALLEGO IN IOWA - This week, Arizona Sen. @gallego.senate.gov passed out doughnuts and coffee to meatpackers in Marshalltown. He went wandering around the State Fair.
And today, he took the stage in Davenport for a town hall. Here are some moments: 1/10
And today, he took the stage in Davenport for a town hall. Here are some moments: 1/10
August 10, 2025 at 12:14 AM
GALLEGO IN IOWA - This week, Arizona Sen. @gallego.senate.gov passed out doughnuts and coffee to meatpackers in Marshalltown. He went wandering around the State Fair.
And today, he took the stage in Davenport for a town hall. Here are some moments: 1/10
And today, he took the stage in Davenport for a town hall. Here are some moments: 1/10
17 pounds of pesticides per person per year in Iowa. That's not a typo. We lead the nation in pesticide use AND cancer rates. The science is starting to connect some uncomfortable dots 🧬 #IowaHealth
August 6, 2025 at 10:31 PM
17 pounds of pesticides per person per year in Iowa. That's not a typo. We lead the nation in pesticide use AND cancer rates. The science is starting to connect some uncomfortable dots 🧬 #IowaHealth