Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“In 2028, no matter what your decision is regarding the nominating calendar, Iowa will be the center of politics because the Republicans will be here right along with scads of national reporters.” — Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart, arguing for the Iowa caucuses’ return to first-in-the-nation status in 2028.
Pete Buttigieg speaks at a rally the day before the Iowa caucuses at Lincoln High School in Des Moines, on Feb. 2, 2020. (Photo by Kathie Obradovich/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Democratic Party leaders from a dozen states, including Iowa, traveled to Washington, D.C., at the end of May to press for their voters to cast the first ballots in the next presidential primary.
State representatives argued that diversifying the early states would ensure Democrats nominate a presidential candidate who not only holds broad appeal among the base, but can ultimately win over independent voters in swing states and the White House in November 2028.
President Donald Trump clapped alongside the crowd as he went to begin his speech on affordability at the Horizon Events Center in Clive Jan. 27, 2026. He endorsed U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra Friday for Iowa governor. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Four days ahead of the June 2 primary, President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra to become the Republican nominee for Iowa governor.
Trump put his support behind Feenstra in a Friday post on TruthSocial, where he said the 4th District Republican has his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
More primary coverage:
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Southern states are bracing for a potential invasion of the New World screwworm that could disrupt livestock markets and raise already high meat prices, Stateline reports.
An Iowa nursing home worker fired after being accused of repeatedly neglecting residents’ needs is entitled to unemployment benefits, a judge has ruled.
Iowa Democrats told members of the Democratic National Committee Wednesday the national party cannot afford to lose Iowa voters — or the input of rural Midwesterners at large — as they craft the presidential nominating calendar for 2028.
In the final days ahead of the June 2 primary, gubernatorial candidate Randy Feenstra rallied Wednesday with former Gov. Terry Branstad and other GOP officials, telling the crowd his victory in the primary will ensure current Republicans’ work continues at the state Capitol.
Joined by pediatric cancer survivors and family members at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday signed a measure into law imposing a 5-cent tax on vapes and alternative nicotine products that will be used to fund up to $3 million in pediatric cancer research.
New allegations of wrongdoing have emerged in the latest wrongful death lawsuit involving a Pleasant Hill nursing home.
An Iowa State University professor is leading the charge to better detail the changes to brain health women see as they go through the different stages of menopause.
The University of Iowa’s Finkbine Golf Course is getting an $11 million renovation that seeks to serve both weekend warriors and collegiate champions.
Just in time for the busy summer season, the Coralville Lake Visitor Center reopened May 1 after being closed for nearly four years for repairs and renovation.
State Sen. Zach Wahls and Rep. Josh Turek both worked to make their case to voters Saturday around the Des Moines area on why their campaign is the best shot at winning back the U.S. Senate seat for Democrats in November.
Using the skills and knowledge he’s gathered over the years playing tabletop games, a University of Iowa professor will employ a popular fantasy game to add more cards to future lawyers’ decks and help them take their legal interpretation to a higher level.
State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past several weeks, including unsanitary kitchens, food contaminated with rodent droppings and shrimp left sitting in stagnant water.
NEWS FROM THE MIDWEST AND IOWA'S NEIGHBORS
Illinois lawmakers pass landmark AI accountability bill | Capitol News Illinois
Rokita wants to block federal marijuana shift | Indiana Capital Chronicle
Rural hospitals could see relief under bipartisan proposal co-sponsored by Kansas reps | Kansas Reflector
Whitmer makes it official: She won’t run for president in 2028 | Michigan Advance
Walz signs bill enacting social media guardrails for Minnesota children | Minnesota Reformer
Missouri plans food benefit restrictions, but grocers say details remain unclear | Missouri Independent
Nebraska, Indiana, Louisiana AGs sue to stop Trump admin marijuana reclassification | Nebraska Examiner
University of North Dakota seeks to scale up critical mineral refining | North Dakota Monitor
Ohio bill would require increased accountability for schools using private school vouchers | Ohio Capital Journal
Standing Rock anniversary event to include music, speakers, celebrity visitors | South Dakota Searchlight
Ex-Trump attorney Troupis seeks $3.2 million from ‘anti-weaponization’ fund | Wisconsin Examiner
FEDERAL FALLOUT
States Newsroom relentlessly reports on how changes at the federal level are affecting people at the state level — and how state governments are responding in this volatile political climate. We post new stories each day; here are just a few:
Trump administration sues Maine for denying immigration agents covert plates | Maine Morning Star
NJ Senate approves bill to protect reproductive, transgender healthcare | New Jersey Monitor
Southern voting rights advocates see rise in momentum after gutting of the Voting Rights Act | NC Newsline
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