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“We have a big job ahead of us,” Chris McGowan told a Republican crowd in Sioux City on October 22. “They expect Iowa four to do the heavy lifting for the rest of the state. Are we up for the task?” McGowan is the GOP nominee in Iowa’s fourth Congressional district, an open seat. His
Iowans are voting early in large numbers this year, but most people who participate in the 2026 election will cast their ballot between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on November 3. Here’s what you need to know if you plan to vote at the polls this Tuesday. This post also lays out the options for
John Gilbert farms with a brother, a son, and their wives along South Fork, a tributary of the Iowa River. In addition to non-GMO row crops, they raise small grains, forages, cattle, and antibiotic free pigs they sell to Niman Ranch. John is a volunteer with the Southfork Watershed Alliance, and is active in Practical…
Molly Buck is a public school teacher, Democratic candidate for House District 41, and former Iowa state representative. I’ve been a teacher for more than 30 years, and I can tell you that teaching in Iowa today looks very different from when I first arrived. When I started teaching, I thought I’d found an educator’s
Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to Iowa’s public schools for 38 years. He taught for eleven years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association regional director for 27 years until retiring. He can be reached at [email protected] My mom warned, if the Fuller Brush man…
Jacob Welper is a lifelong North Iowan and is running for House District 59. For a farm family, a foreclosure notice can put far more than a business at risk. It can threaten a home, a livelihood and land that holds generations of family history. In North Iowa, the consequences extend beyond the farm gate.
Amy Tagliareni is a former member of the Ankeny school board and the Democratic candidate for House District 42. Ankeny is a community known for its growing neighborhoods, strong schools and families who work hard to build a good life. But there is another reality that deserves our attention: some of our neighbors are…
Dan Guild is a lawyer and project manager who lives in New Hampshire. In addition to writing for Bleeding Heartland, he has written for CNN and Sabato’s Crystal Ball. He also contributed to the Washington Post’s 2020 primary simulations. Follow him on X @dcg1114. “Money is the mother’s milk of politics” – Jesse Unruh…
Gerald Ott of Ankeny was a high school English teacher and for 30 years a school improvement consultant for the Iowa State Education Association. This post first appeared on Substack. On October 27, I watched the debate between Democratic challenger Sarah Trone Garriott and Republican incumbent Zach Nunn, who are…
Diane Porter of Fairfield first published this post on My Gaia, an email newsletter “about getting to know nature” and “giving her a helping hand in our own backyards.” Diane also maintains the Birdwatching Dot Com website and bird blog. Flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata) is a plant I feel connected to, because I…
Joey Norris is a small business owner and Democratic volunteer in Red Oak. This is the prepared version of remarks he delivered at the No Kings: Vote Early rally in Windsor Heights on October 17, 2026. Bleeding Heartland covered his prosecution for felony election misconduct, his trial, and his acquittal here. 1. The…
I have seen some conflicting takes about Iowa’s early voting trends this year. So let’s take stock of where things stand. This post draws on the latest figures released by the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, reflecting ballots received by county auditors through Saturday, October 24. That’s halfway through Iowa’s…
Randy Evans is executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes openness and transparency in Iowa’s state and local governments. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, Stray Thoughts. When a…
Continuing a Bleeding Heartland tradition, I am posting Iowa’s absentee ballot numbers, statewide and for each Congressional district, updated every day the Iowa Secretary of State’s office releases new figures. You can compare this year’s numbers to daily charts from the last seven election cycles by clicking through…
Mike Tupper is the former Marshalltown police chief and the Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 52. I spent 32 years in law enforcement, including more than thirteen years as Marshalltown’s police chief. I loved my career, and I learned a great deal about public safety, managing budgets, and solving problems…
Adam Shriver is the host of the Canary in a Cornfield Podcast and Substack. He’s been writing and organizing around the connection between agriculture and public health in Iowa for the past five years. First of all: much appreciation to Laura for letting me cross post my podcast here! You can find the Substack version
Shawn Olorundami is a teacher and candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives in District 1. When families make the difficult decision to move a loved one into an assisted-living facility, they place an extraordinary amount of trust in the people responsible for their care. They trust that their parents and…
Diane Porter of Fairfield first published this post in late August on My Gaia, an email newsletter “about getting to know nature” and “giving her a helping hand in our own backyards.” Diane also maintains the Birdwatching Dot Com website and bird blog. On a September morning, I rediscovered a plant that I was looking…
Herb Strentz was dean of the Drake School of Journalism from 1975 to 1988 and professor there until retirement in 2004. He was executive secretary of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council from its founding in 1976 to 2000. Try as one might, I defy you to find a better concise description of what’s at
Randy Evans is executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes openness and transparency in Iowa’s state and local governments. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, Stray Thoughts. The…
Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to Iowa’s public schools for 38 years. He taught for eleven years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association regional director for 27 years until retiring. He can be reached at [email protected] When I think about Amendment 1 on Iowa’s…
Robin Opsahl covers the state legislature and politics for Iowa Capital Dispatch, where this article first appeared. Iowa is expected to spend over $1 billion more than it raises in revenues in the current fiscal year, the Revenue Estimating Conference found on October 16 — but Iowa Department of Management Director…
Ric Zarwell, John A. Lundell, and Kevin W. Techau co-authored this column. Zarwell is a lifelong Allamakee County conservationist, birder, and former president of the Allamakee County Protectors, known for advocating for the land and water of the Driftless Area. Lundell is a former mayor of Coralville (2013 – 2021)…
Brian McLain is a co-chair of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Platform Committee and former chair of the party’s Progressive Caucus. Every two years, hundreds of Iowa Democratic Party members come together to determine the direction they want the Party to go. It is a long process requiring hours of meetings, debate, and…
Nature nerd Emily Bredthauer took the pictures enclosed below in August and September. (It’s better not to be too specific about the location of rare wildflowers.) I am of the opinion that Indigenous people should be celebrated every day. I am constantly full of gratitude for the people who have cared for the earth…
Phil Montag is a Des Moines area activist and serves on the board of the Iowa Unity Coalition. Listening to Zach Lahn on the Iowa gubernatorial campaign trail for the past year has been quite a show. To his credit, from the beginning he has put ecology, sustainable agriculture, and water quality front and center in
Iowans will decide this November whether to allow three Iowa Court of Appeals judges and 85 trial court judges to remain on the bench. Since our state adopted the current judicial selection system in 1962, each judge must periodically go on the ballot—every eight years for Iowa Supreme Court justices, every six years…
A Montgomery County jury prevented a miscarriage of justice on October 8, when jurors acquitted Joey Norris of first-degree election misconduct after deliberating for only a few hours. Norris never should have faced a felony charge for his actions as a member of the board processing absentee ballots. Montgomery County…
By John Forbes is a former state representative and candidate for Polk County Board of Supervisors Polk County belongs to all of us. That’s the idea at the heart of Heather Jones-Brown’s campaign for Supervisor in District 4, and it’s why I’m proud to support her. As a fellow candidate for the Board of Supervisors,
Randy Evans is executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes openness and transparency in Iowa’s state and local governments. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, Stray Thoughts. When…
Early voting in Iowa starts on Wednesday, October 14 this year. So it’s a good time to run through how Iowans can cast their ballot before November 3. I’m a strong advocate for voting early. You never know when some family emergency, illness, or work obligation might prevent you from getting to the polls on
Early voting in Iowa starts on Wednesday, October 14 this year. So it’s a good time to run through how Iowans can cast their ballot before November 3. I’m a strong advocate for voting early. You never know when some family emergency, illness, or work obligation might prevent you from getting to the polls on
Edward A. Wasserman is a 53-year resident of Iowa and a professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at The University of Iowa. The views expressed in his piece are his own and do not in any way reflect those of his employer. Controversy surrounds the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa. A
Katie Byerly of Cerro Gordo County is also known as Iowa Prairie Girl on YouTube. Have you ever been on a nature walk and gotten yourself into a jam? Maybe that desire to find that one rare wildflower, or maybe just a plant you’ve never seen before, has now gotten you into a position you’re
Katie Byerly of Cerro Gordo County is also known as Iowa Prairie Girl on YouTube. Have you ever been on a nature walk and gotten yourself into a jam? Maybe that desire to find that one rare wildflower, or maybe just a plant you’ve never seen before, has now gotten you into a position you’re
Edward A. Wasserman is a 53-year resident of Iowa and a professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at The University of Iowa. The views expressed in his piece are his own and do not in any way reflect those of his employer. Controversy surrounds the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa. A
David R. Russell is a retired teacher in Ames. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, The Front Burner and the Back. Iowa is the largest egg producer in the country. And one of the biggest alleged egg price fixers. While the egg producers and the press were
David R. Russell is a retired teacher in Ames. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, The Front Burner and the Back. Iowa is the largest egg producer in the country. And one of the biggest alleged egg price fixers. While the egg producers and the press were
Dan Piller was a business reporter for more than four decades, working for the Des Moines Register and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He covered the oil and gas industry while in Texas and was the Register’s agriculture reporter before his retirement in 2013. He lives in Ankeny. The gas pump has emerged as the issue
Dan Piller was a business reporter for more than four decades, working for the Des Moines Register and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He covered the oil and gas industry while in Texas and was the Register’s agriculture reporter before his retirement in 2013. He lives in Ankeny. The gas pump has emerged as the issue
Douglas Burns is a fourth-generation Iowa journalist. He is the co-founder of the Western Iowa Journalism Foundation and a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, where this article first appeared on The Iowa Mercury newsletter. His family operated the Carroll Times Herald for 93 years in Carroll, where Burns…
Douglas Burns is a fourth-generation Iowa journalist. He is the co-founder of the Western Iowa Journalism Foundation and a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, where this article first appeared on The Iowa Mercury newsletter. His family operated the Carroll Times Herald for 93 years in Carroll, where Burns…
Robin Opsahl covers the state legislature and politics for Iowa Capital Dispatch, where this article first appeared. Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law on October 2 a measure changing a state’s economic development program that could provide nearly $1.4 billion in tax incentives for a $15 billion steel mill project…
Robin Opsahl covers the state legislature and politics for Iowa Capital Dispatch, where this article first appeared. Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law on October 2 a measure changing a state’s economic development program that could provide nearly $1.4 billion in tax incentives for a $15 billion steel mill project…
Randy Evans is executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes openness and transparency in Iowa’s state and local governments. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, Stray Thoughts…
Randy Evans is executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes openness and transparency in Iowa’s state and local governments. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, Stray Thoughts…
Nick Covington is an Iowa parent who taught high school social studies for ten years. For decades, the same charts and arguments about public school spending have made their way from think tanks to the media and state capitols around the country. “After 40 years, trillions spent, and declining test scores, doing more…
Nick Covington is an Iowa parent who taught high school social studies for ten years. For decades, the same charts and arguments about public school spending have made their way from think tanks to the media and state capitols around the country. “After 40 years, trillions spent, and declining test scores, doing more…
Larry McBurney is a Democratic member of the Iowa House representing part of Urbandale. For years, Iowa Republicans have argued that lower taxes will attract people, businesses, and investment to the state. Governor Kim Reynolds made that case in 2022 while promoting her income tax plan, telling people elsewhere…
Larry McBurney is a Democratic member of the Iowa House representing part of Urbandale. For years, Iowa Republicans have argued that lower taxes will attract people, businesses, and investment to the state. Governor Kim Reynolds made that case in 2022 while promoting her income tax plan, telling people elsewhere…
Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to Iowa’s public schools for 38 years. He taught for eleven years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association regional director for 27 years until retiring. He can be reached at [email protected] Growing up, organized sports consisted of…
President Donald Trump has attacked press freedom in many ways, using private litigation as well as the powers of his office. While some corporations settled meritless lawsuits to curry favor with the administration, the Des Moines Register, its parent company, and its former pollster fought back. They were vindicated…
Katie Byerly of Cerro Gordo County is also known as Iowa Prairie Girl on YouTube. When I find a plant listed in multiple Midwestern states as “threatened” or “endangered,” I can’t help but wonder what the location looked like prior to the plant becoming a “special concern.” We prairie lovers have all tried to imagine
Randy Evans is executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes openness and transparency in Iowa’s state and local governments. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, Stray Thoughts. In recent…
Ed Tibbetts, a longtime reporter and editor in the Quad-Cities, is the publisher of the Along the Mississippi newsletter, where this post first appeared. Find more of his work at edtibbetts.substack.com. Suddenly, Ashley Hinson is trying to convince us she’s OK with Democrats; that she’s working with them to lower…
Tony Thompson, Ken Runde, and Kevin W. Techau jointly wrote this column. Thompson served as Black Hawk County sheriff and is a veteran of the U.S. Army and Iowa Army National Guard. Runde served as Dubuque County sheriff and U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Iowa. He is a Marine Corps veteran. Techau served
Hannah Grip is the Iowa Environmental Council’s Energy Communications Associate. Iowans who are concerned about the state’s interconnected water quality and public health crises have the opportunity to learn more and engage in solutions at the 2026 Iowa Environmental Council Annual Conference. The event takes place…
Diane Porter of Fairfield first published this post in late August on My Gaia, an email newsletter “about getting to know nature” and “giving her a helping hand in our own backyards.” Diane also maintains the Birdwatching Dot Com website and bird blog. My garden has been a golden extravaganza this summer. Masses of…
Rick Morain is the former publisher and owner of the Jefferson Herald, for which he writes a regular column. This essay first appeared on Substack. Last week the United States and its people soberly remembered the stunning terrorist attacks that weaponized jetliners to kill thousands of people in the American homeland…
Nick Covington is an Iowa parent who taught high school social studies for ten years. The culture war battles we fight over our public schools are fundamentally disagreements about American values: what does it mean to be an American, and in whose image do we build our public schools? “When Americans start fighting…
Randy Evans is executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes openness and transparency in Iowa’s state and local governments. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, Stray Thoughts. You would…