Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“We are invested in nine battleground states and are looking very closely at some of the expansion states that are coming (into) play as we get four weeks from the election and the environment continues to be increasingly rough for Republicans.” — Lauren French of the Senate Majority PAC on the Democratic organization’s focus on competitive U.S. Senate races in Iowa and eight other states.
Democratic Auditor Rob Sand and Republican businessman Zach Lahn are competing to become Iowa governor in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. (Photos by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch, photo illustration via Canva)
Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn accused each other of lying about their residency and family wealth Tuesday while answering questions on the state budget and education during the first 2026 Iowa gubernatorial debate.
The debate, hosted by KWQC, was held by at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. It is the first of multiple debates scheduled between Sand and Lahn in the weeks before the Nov. 3, 2026 general election.
President Donald Trump authorized highway use of dyed diesel fuel and some states are following suit. Shown here are prices from June 23, 2026. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said Tuesday in Iowa that she is urging state governors to follow the president’s move to suspend penalties on the unrestricted use of dyed diesel, a tax-exempt fuel typically allowed in off-road machinery only.
President Donald Trump announced Monday evening at a rally in Nebraska he would authorize highway use of dyed diesel fuel and defer the federal excise tax on the fuel to provide relief from the steep diesel prices which have hit record highs of more than $6 per gallon, nationally.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a program Tuesday to increase research and sequencing of the country’s seed collection and announced it was “strengthening” its agreement with the Justice Department to investigate competition in the seed industry.
Senate Majority PAC, which is run by allies of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, has bought ad time, or has commitments to do so, in nine states including Iowa, Lauren French, the group’s chief spokesperson said Tuesday.
An Iowa hospital worker who posted a Facebook video showing off her Harry Potter-themed office was fired after it was discovered the photo revealed protected patient information.
The Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals has sanctioned two central Iowa practitioners for alleged misconduct.
The number of women in the U.S. Senate is unlikely to increase and may decline following the November midterm elections, though there are still opportunities for candidates to make history in the upper chamber.
Democrats are more motivated to vote in November’s midterm elections than Republicans, potentially giving the party an advantage to flip at least one chamber of Congress, according to a poll released Tuesday by the nonpartisan health organization KFF.
As President Donald Trump refuses to rule out taking extreme action in the midterm elections, voting rights advocates and civil rights leaders are bolstering their voter protection efforts in anticipation of possible federal interference.
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