Iowa Public Radio

A survey of registered voters in four states, including Iowa, showed a disconnect between policy rhetoric from lawmakers and candidates and what their constituents believe about a range of issues. We asked experts for an explanation.

The results of the November election will show whether Iowa Democrats are able to chip away at the supermajority Republicans hold in the state Senate. In a Des Moines metro district, a longtime GOP Senator is trying to hold off his Democratic challenger. ➡ Here's where the candidates stand on some key issues.

The Ames History Museum is ready to reopen after a years-long, $4.5 million expansion and renovation. It now has five times more exhibit gallery space, a special collections room and an event space. One of the highlights is a nearly full-scale replica of the Dinkey engine, a small steam train that ran between Ames and Iowa State University's campus in the 1890s. The grand reopening is Saturday from 12-8 p.m.

Democrat Josh Turek won the election to the Iowa Legislature by a slim margin in 2022. This year, voters in the heavily red district will decide between the incumbent or Republican Josh Wassell. Both men shared their views with IPR on a wide range of topics, including abortion, income tax, ESAs and their top legislative priorities.

This November, the Iowa Senate has 25 seats up for reelection. Nate Boulton is one of five Democratic incumbents who could help determine the balance of the chamber, where Republicans currently hold a supermajority. ➡ Here's where Boulton stands on some key issues.

Abortion is a major topic in this year's election following an Iowa Supreme Court decision this summer that allowed a restrictive abortion law to go into effect. Democrats are leaning hard on reproductive right to win them seats this election.

Iowa Republicans and Democrats running for Congress say they want to crack down on illegal border crossings and work to stop fentanyl from getting into the country, but they talk about the issues in very different ways.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said he referred alleged noncitizens who voted in past elections for criminal prosecution. Pate, a Republican, said his office reviewed Iowa’s 2.3 million voter records as part of a regular audit of the voter registration list. He said they discovered 87 people who voted in past elections and later “self-reported that they are not citizens” to the Iowa DOT. When asked about noncitizen voting this election season, Pate said he did not think it was a widespread problem in Iowa.

Residents of Hiawatha, Robins and northeast Cedar Rapids in District 80 will have the chance for change this November, as current Iowa House incumbent Rep. Art Staed is eyeing an Iowa Senate seat in a neighboring district. District 80 voters have the choice between current Hiawatha City Council member Aime Wichtendahl, a Democrat, or first-time candidate and Cedar Rapids Republican John Thompson. ➡ Here's what the candidates had to say about some key issues.

The Iowa Judicial Branch said it is fixing computer programming errors that led to more than $26 million in court debt collections being sent to the wrong funds.