Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“We don’t elect a dictator, right? We don’t elect a king or a queen. We elect a governor, and what that governor does is dependent in part on what the Legislature does.” — Iowa Gov.-elect Rob Sand, addressing the necessity of working with a GOP-controlled Legislature to enact Iowans’ priorities.
Gov.-elect Rob Sand spoke on Iowa Press Nov. 6, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Iowa PBS)
Iowa Gov.-elect Rob Sand, emphasized Friday that his priorities, and those of Iowa lawmakers, will need to be the product of collaboration now that Republicans’ trifecta majority has been split.
In his first interview since the election on “Iowa Press,” Sand spoke about his priorities, including putting restrictions on data centers and cutting the state deficit in half.
Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley answered questions from reporters in the Iowa House chambers Nov. 6, 2026. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said Friday he does not believe a special legislative session will be called before Gov.-elect Rob Sand takes office in January.
Though Republicans maintained majority control over both chambers of the Iowa Legislature in the 2026 election, state lawmakers will no longer be working with a Republican governor. Sand, a Democrat, will take over when Gov. Kim Reynolds ends her term. In addition to losing the governorship, Republican majorities shrunk in both legislative chambers.
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
There were 27 instances this summer when a single sample test for E. coli at a state beach came back above the state standard, but state regulators did not issue a swim advisory for the beach.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, 93, does not plan to resign before Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds leaves office, to allow her, instead of Democratic Gov.-elect Rob Sand, to appoint someone to fill his seat, a spokesperson said Thursday.
Though Iowa Republicans suffered serious losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections, the party appears to have kept control of both chambers at the Iowa Legislature.
Iowa voters broke midterm turnout records in the general election Tuesday, with more than 1,380,528 residents casting their ballots.
Josh Turek defeated Republican Ashley Hinson in the U.S. Senate race Tuesday, the Associated Press has projected, becoming the first Democrat since former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin was in office.
Democrat Rob Sand will be Iowa’s next governor, the Associated Press projected Tuesday, ending more than a decade of a Republican trifecta of control at the Iowa Capitol with his defeat of Republican Zach Lahn.
Funding a trust to support Iowa’s natural resources and water has come up repeatedly on the campaign trail ahead of Tuesday’s elections, but some counties have successfully initiated bond referendums to support projects locally.
More Americans are confident in the integrity of vote counts for the midterm elections than in past election cycles, according to a poll authored by Grinnell College students and faculty.
President Donald Trump urged Iowans to vote for Republicans in the midterms during a Dubuque rally Sunday, telling voters Democratic majorities would reverse work done by his administration to lower costs and would usher in “socialism.”
Rob Sand, Democratic candidate for Iowa governor, said Sunday night that whatever his supporters have going on over the next 48 hours leading up to Election Day, it’s “probably less important” than encouraging people to vote.
President Donald Trump is rounding out his midterm travel blitz in the final sprint leading up to Election Day on Nov. 3 – including a rescheduled stop in Dubuque, Iowa.
President Donald Trump’s rallies in Kansas and Iowa this weekend are back on after initial cancellations, States Newsroom confirmed Friday. Trump is scheduled to be in Dubuque, Iowa, Sunday.
NEWS FROM THE MIDWEST AND IOWA'S NEIGHBORS
On 1st day since winning 3rd term as governor, Pritzker releases 200-point national agenda | Capitol News Illinois
Indiana executes Jeffrey Weisheit for 2010 murders of two children | Indiana Capital Chronicle
Hamilton makes history with US Senate win over Republican incumbent | Kansas Reflector
UAW’s Shawn Fain: The 2026 election results were a case of the ‘many versus the mighty’ | Michigan Advance
Governor-elect Klobuchar promises to transform state government, grow economy | Minnesota Reformer
‘We’ve got to listen’: Missouri Republicans confront fallout from historic election losses | Missouri Independent
Nebraska voters appear to say ‘no’ to legalizing online sports betting | Nebraska Examiner
Voters defeat free school meal ballot measure in North Dakota | North Dakota Monitor
Ohio Gov. DeWine does not plan to sign anything into law that would limit the governor’s authority | Ohio Capital Journal
Voters reject measure that could have triggered repeal of Medicaid expansion in South Dakota | South Dakota Searchlight
Republicans blame Trump and national environment on their sweeping losses in Wisconsin | 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:
Many WV SNAP recipients will have 2 sets of work requirements to keep food assistance, healthcare | West Virginia Watch
North Carolina seeks $40 million to help schools cover rising fuel costs | NC Newsline
Colorado voters reject measures requiring mail-ballot ID numbers, ICE cooperation | Colorado Newsline
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