Election 2022
Axne joins USDA senior leadership
Cindy Axne, former representative for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, was appointed to a federal level leadership position. Axne was appointed senior adviser for rural engagement, delivery and prosperity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. Axne was the sole Democrat representing Iowa during her time in Congress. Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is the U.S. […]
State election officials at U.S. Senate hearing discuss threats to workers, call for funding
WASHINGTON — Election officials on Tuesday detailed to the U.S. Senate Rules Committee how their states countered threats to election workers and worked to combat misinformation and disinformation during the 2022 midterm election. With the 2024 presidential election closely approaching, Senate Rules Committee Chair Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she was concerned about threats to election […]
GOP state officials at U.S. House hearing push back against federal election oversight
WASHINGTON — Republican election officials from Florida, Ohio and Louisiana on Friday detailed to lawmakers on a U.S. House Administration panel the success of their states’ handling of the 2022 midterm elections, and said they can run their own elections without federal intervention. The chair of the Elections Subcommittee, Florida GOP freshman Rep. Laurel Lee, […]
Woman jailed for collecting 4 ballots in Arizona sparks fear of voting in majority Latino city
This story was produced in partnership with Type Investigations, with support from the Fund for Constitutional Government. SAN LUIS, Arizona – The small city of San Luis is tucked away in the far corner of Arizona, closer to Mexico than to any major U.S. city. The community is nearly 95% Latino and tight-knit — the type […]
Kari Lake says her Iowa roots fuel her fight to overturn Arizona midterm results
BETTENDORF, Iowa — Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake said her Iowa upbringing is one source of her fighter mentality, motivating her to challenge the results of the election that she lost in 2022 and potentially run for U.S. Senate next year. Lake, a Republican, said some may assume she was visiting Iowa because she […]
New Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart has her work cut out for her
The Iowa Democratic Party’s State Central Committee elected Rita Hart as the next party chair on Jan. 28 by 34 votes to 14 for Brittany Ruland and one for Bob Krause. Hart promised to focus “squarely on helping our party begin winning elections again,” and had submitted a detailed plan (enclosed in full below) to make that happen. She touted her experience […]
White House defends delay in revealing classified documents at Biden private office, home
WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday defended sitting on information about Obama administration classified documents found at President Joe Biden’s private residence and a think tank, saying officials are attempting to balance working with the Justice Department and sharing information publicly. “We understand that there’s a tension between the need to be cooperative with […]
How it ends for defeated or retiring members of Congress
Most Iowans are familiar with the balloons, buttons, and hoopla parts of political campaigns. Some wonder, however, what happens when a campaign ends in defeat — especially when the defeated candidate is an incumbent, with offices and staff — and with legislative and other work that still needs to be done. How does all that […]
Michigan’s Stabenow, Minnesota’s Klobuchar rise in U.S. Senate Democratic leadership
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday elected their leadership for their new 51-seat majority in the upcoming 118th Congress, elevating two Midwesterners — Michigan’s Debbie Stabenow to the No. 3 slot and Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar to the No. 4 role. Stabenow, chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, and Klobuchar, chair of the […]
‘Worth the wait’: U.S. Senate Democrats celebrate a 51-seat majority with Georgia win
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer jubilantly announced Wednesday that the Georgia runoff election victory will next year end an evenly divided U.S. Senate, giving Democrats more subpoena power in committees and a quicker turnaround in approving federal and judicial appointments. Schumer, a New York Democrat, congratulated Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock for […]
Raphael Warnock wins U.S. Senate runoff, giving Democrats a 51-seat majority
Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock will return to Washington to represent Georgia for the next six years after winning his Senate runoff Tuesday, handing Senate Democrats a coveted 51st seat. The Associated Press called the race at 10:26 p.m. Tuesday. By early Wednesday morning, Warnock had 51.3% of the vote, edging out Republican Herschel Walker […]
Parties finalize Iowa House leadership for 2023 session
Democrats have elected an all-woman team to lead their party in the Iowa House of Representatives for the upcoming legislative session. Iowa House Republicans have also completed leadership election. The 2023 House Democrats’ leadership team will be the first all-female group to lead a caucus in the Iowa Statehouse, according to a Tuesday news release. […]