How an Iowa Democratic Senate Candidate Pads His Résumé

Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Mike Franken is pitching himself as a politician who "knows how to get things done in Washington." But when it comes to the details of what he's done and what role he held in doing it, things get a little hazy.

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Cindy Axne Inadvertently Argues She’s in China’s Pocket

In what is sure to be one of the biggest self-owns of the 2022 midterm elections, Iowa Democratic congresswoman Cindy Axne is criticizing her opponent for taking money from a Chinese company—the same company Axne herself toured in 2019 and praised for "powering Iowa agriculture."

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Deace: It's time for Charles Grassley to go. Vote Jim Carlin for U.S. Senate.



Over the last 15 years, we have tremendously and positively changed the political landscape here in my home state of Iowa. We are now a state that is culturally and politically redder than Texas, which is another state I visit often and know well, so I’m qualified to make the comparison.

Therefore, it is time to for Iowa to have representation in the U.S. Senate that represents that shift towards bold colors and to say no to a sixth decade of pale pastels. With that in mind, I am making my first endorsement for a federal office since 2016 by endorsing Jim Carlin for U.S. Senate in my state’s primary election, coming up on June 7.

We changed Iowa politically for two reasons.

First, we built up a grassroots army that helped Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum post huge caucus-night upsets, produced the largest caucus turnout ever in 2016, when Ted Cruz started at 0% and ended up winning it, and also made American history by throwing out three state supreme court justices by popular referendum.

Second, Donald Trump’s message helped Republicans make major inroads among rural voters, which resulted in 33 Iowa counties that voted Barack Obama for president at least once switching and voting Trump twice.

Jim Carlin embodies this new coalition of conservative/America First populism. Listen to his recent interview with my colleague Daniel Horowitz and see for yourself. Carlin was forged for such a time as this. He knows what time it is.

Meanwhile, his opponent is past his time. Way, way, way, way, way, way, way past his time, in fact. And we are running out of time to send to D.C. people who will fight for us, as opposed to fight us for D.C.

Might I suggest that in a world where the definition of reality itself is increasingly up for grabs on multiple fronts, we may not want to send a guy back to D.C. who has at least played the role of a simp for this descent into the mouth of madness since 1975? Wait, let me take that back. I’m not suggesting. I’m demanding. And you should, too.

It is time for Senator Chuck Grassley to go. Frankly, it is more than a little gross that he is even running again. He is 88 years old and far from being anything resembling indispensable, as his F Liberty Score at Conservative Review confirms.

How in the world does a Republican have such a terrible record during the Biden era? I mean, it’s not as if the Spirit of the Age doesn’t use its dementia-riddled proxy as a channel for endless rotgut to vote against. And somehow, Grassley can’t even manage to say no to the worst of the worst on a consistent basis.Enough is enough. A sixth decade of this weakness in the face of sheer evil is enough. Spare our children and grandchildren any more of this, please.

In fact, a solid red state like Iowa, that has had a front-row seat to genuine leadership and courage the last few years in the person of Governor Kim Reynolds, must ask far more of itself than merely rubber-stamping Grassley’s endless marathon of submissive sub-mediocrity.

And that is especially true since this "Weekend at Bernie’s" re-election bid is obviously being undertaken to pave the way for Grassley’s grandson, Pat – the current speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives – to grab the federal power baton when deemed expedient, despite his failure to lead in the just-completed Iowa legislative session. The younger Grassley’s chamber failed on multiple issues, such as school choice, despite an overwhelmingly favorable environment and a governor openly advertising her willingness to sign bold legislation into law

But the votes to put families back in charge were found over in the Iowa Senate, and that is in no small part due to uncompromising voices of state senators like Jim Carlin. For example, he is on record criticizing the trans porn making its way into America’s school libraries as rubbish that “could make a feral hog vomit.” He’s a staunch advocate of medical freedom, too, which is perhaps our most pressing issue of the moment. Carlin is already speaking boldly on that issue, while even most of our senators with impressive Liberty Scores are cowering from it. And as an Iowan, he knows manure when he sees it, which is why he’s also not buying “the most secure election of our lifetimes.”

If the last 26 months have taught us anything, it’s that we need to elect much better people. We don’t need any more political dynasties. We finally ended the reign of Bushes, and it is now time to put the Grassleys out to pasture.

Grassley has had six decades to put a stop to this evil, and instead has too often enabled it. We don’t have any more time as a culture to feed his ego and fulfill his family tree. We have a civilization to save, which is why I’m endorsing Jim Carlin to hopefully help us save it.

Another Democrat Quietly Breaks Self-Imposed Corporate PAC Money Ban

Iowa Democratic Senate frontrunner Abby Finkenauer claims she hasn't taken a "dime of corporate PAC money." In fact, she's accepted thousands of dollars from groups that are funded by top U.S. corporations.

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Republican flips Iowa state House seat controlled by Democrats for almost 30 years



A Republican candidate won a special election in Iowa this week to flip a state House seat that had been held by Democrats for nearly three decades.

Republican Jon Dunwell's victory in Jasper County marks the first time that a Republican will represent the district since 1992. It also marks the second time since President Joe Biden took office in January that a Republican has won a formerly Democratic-held legislative seat, after a Republican won a state Senate seat in Connecticut over the summer.

Dunwell, 55, a former pastor and current financial services administrator, defeated Democrat Steve Mullan in the election on Tuesday with 60% of the vote, the Des Moines Register reported.

The seat became vacant after the incumbent Democrat representative resigned to take a job with the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) announced that a special election would take place to fill the seat.

"Thank you, Jasper County, for putting your faith in me to be your voice in the Iowa Statehouse," Dunwell said in the statement, according to the Register. "Throughout this campaign, I have had the honor of hearing from so many of you — those who agreed with me and those who offered opposing viewpoints. I have learned so much and am eager to get to work representing each and every one of you."

"Community engagement is very important to me. Being out and among people is very important to me. Giving everyone a seat at the table is very important to me," Dunwell added in conversation with the Newton Daily News. "I have a conservative philosophy. My passion is for Jasper County and Iowa. The team that I work with is for the Republicans."

Dunwell reportedly ran a campaign focused on growing the local economy, bolstering parental rights, lowering taxes, and supporting individual freedoms. The platform evidently resonated with constituents.

"Iowans have spoken loud and clear in these last two special elections about the direction we are taking the state," Gov. Reynolds said in a statement. "Candidates who stood strongly for parental choice, personal responsibility, and pro-growth policies were successful. And we are just getting started."

Jasper County is considered a pivot county because it voted for former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 before voting for former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. The county's shift from blue to red is part of a statewide trend in recent years.

Nevertheless, some see Dunwell's victory as a referendum on President Joe Biden's failed policies. Republicans are hopeful it foreshadows major victories for the party in the 2022 midterms.

Swing-District Iowa Dem Donated To Bail Out Illegal Immigrants

Swing-district Democratic congressional candidate Christina Bohannan donated money to pay bail for illegal immigrants through a group that works to achieve a "world without police."

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Republican congressional challenger set to win election by 6 votes



The old adage "Every vote counts" was punctuated in the tightly-contested election in Iowa's 2nd District. Republican congressional challenger Mariannette Miller-Meeks is set to win the election by a mere six votes.

In a heated race where 394,400 votes were cast, Miller-Meeks squeaked out a victory against Democrat Tina Hart by the razor-thin margin of six votes. Miller-Meeks had been up by only 47 votes, but a recount shaved the lead to just six.

"As more ballots have been counted, the margin has narrowed dramatically and is now down to a mere 6 votes — making this the closest Congressional race in recent history, and one of the very closest in the last hundred years," Hart's campaign manager, Zach Meunier, said in a statement, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Meunier alleged, "Unfortunately, as this process continues, the Miller-Meeks campaign has sought to keep legitimate votes from being counted — pushing to disqualify and limit the number of Iowans whose votes are counted."

A state canvassing board is scheduled to convene on Monday to certify the results of the election, which is the legal deadline to do so.

The Hart campaign did not indicate whether it would file a legal challenge in the election. A challenge would set in motion a review by a judicial panel.

Meunier said, "We will closely review what the county and state boards do on Monday with an eye toward making sure all Iowa voices are fully and fairly heard."

Meanwhile, Miller-Meeks asserted that she won the race, which both candidates were attempting to fill the seat of Democrat Rep. Dave Loebsack, who is retiring after seven terms, as reported by Fox News.

"While the race is extraordinarily close, I am proud to have won this contest and look forward to being certified as the winner by the state's Executive Council on Monday," Miller-Meeks said in a statement released on Saturday. "It is the honor of a lifetime to be elected to serve the people of eastern and southern Iowa."

It is the honor of a lifetime to be elected to serve the people of eastern and southern Iowa. Iowans are tenaciou… https://t.co/iXxmvOspPQ
— Dr. Miller-Meeks (@Dr. Miller-Meeks)1606601231.0

Republicans congratulated Miller-Meeks on her apparent victory.

"Congratulations to my friend, and the first woman to represent Iowa's 2nd District, @millermeeks! Looking forward to serving alongside you in Congress representing our Great State of Iowa," Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

"Congratulations! @millermeeks," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted. "More good news for the House."

Miller-Meeks enlisted in the United States Army at 18-years-old, and served for 24 years as a private, nurse, and doctor. The retired U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel was the Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, and is an ophthalmologist. She was previously unsuccessful in attempting to unseat Loebsack in 2008, 2010, and 2014.