Iowa
Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 21 in Warren, Marion counties
Two candidates are competing to represent Iowa House District 21, which covers parts of Warren and Marion counties, including Indianola, Milo, Lacona and Knoxville.
Incumbent Rep. Brooke Boden, a Republican, is facing a challenge from Democrat Spencer Waugh. The two candidates ran unopposed in their party primaries in June and will now face-off in the general election Nov. 5.
To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Who is Brooke Boden (incumbent)?
Age: 51
Party: Republican
Where did you grow up: Indianola
Current town of residence: Indianola
Education: High school graduate and some college education
Occupation: Self employed/small business owner
Political experience and civic activities:
- State representative for two terms
- Prior co-chair of the Warren County Republican Central Committee
- Member of the Elks Lodge
- Active member of my church
Who is Spencer Waugh?
Age: 49
Party: Democrat
Where did you grow up: Rapid City, South Dakota
Current town of residence: Indianola
Education:
- Bachelor of Art from Central College
- Master’s from University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Occupation: Educator at Simpson College
Political experience and civic activities:
- National champion debate coach
- Actively involved with the Iowa High School Speech Association
- Lutheran Church of Hope
- 2024 National Speech & Debate Tournament local host steering committee
What would be your top issue should you be elected?
Boden: I will always fight for Iowans to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. As Iowans struggle in this economy, it’s my top priority to keep costs down, eliminate reckless spending, and fight inflation. In my time in the Legislature, I’ve supported historic tax cuts, including cutting taxes for every Iowa family, removing the tax on retirement income, and providing property tax relief.
Waugh: Education
What policies would you support to improve Iowa’s education system?
Boden: I supported legislation to raise teacher salaries to the fifth highest in the nation and also raise paraprofessionals’ pay. I have worked hard to ensure we are holding bad actors accountable, keeping them away from our children especially in the classroom where all children deserve to feel safe. I ran a bill that requires schools to report grooming. I’ve addressed issues right here in District 21 and have worked on several bills pertaining to bullying. Next, I’d like to look toward providing whistleblower protections for school students, teachers, staff, and parents.
Waugh: Having 26 years of experience in education, I trust our teachers and administrators to be key stakeholders to solve the challenges. Iowa should strive to be the model that others wish to follow. When I started teaching, every other state wanted to do what we were doing in Iowa. It is time to be a national leader in education again. First, the AEA bill must be repealed. We must bring all stakeholders together to work on a solution for students, families and teachers. All students must have access to a world-class education. Teachers must be trusted and treated like professionals.
What do you think Iowa’s tax policy should be? Do you believe the state’s priority should be on lowering rates or spending on services for Iowans?
Boden: Here in Iowa, we have proven that we can do both on a balanced budget. We can lower tax rates and still provide excellent services. Going forward, we need to lower tax rates. When Iowans have more money in their pockets they will invest that money back into our local economies.
Waugh: I strongly support tax cuts for Iowa’s middle class. This can be accomplished by creating policies that create growth, add population, and therefore add to our tax base. We need to find ways to make sure our young people want to stay here so that companies will have a vibrant labor force. This means good schools, strong infrastructure, and jobs that pay well. So I don’t buy that you have to prioritize one over the other. A good policy maker will bring businesses and increase revenues here in the state so that Iowans have the services they need.
What policies would you support to improve school safety in Iowa?
Boden: We must take a multi-pronged approach to school safety. Students and staff deserve the security provided by school resources officers, gun detection technology, and professionally trained staff. In Iowa, we’ve worked for real solutions to these tragic scenarios. Our goal is to lower emergency response times, which will be the difference in lives saved if tragedy were to strike our communities here in Warren and Marion counties.
Waugh: Iowa should prioritize mental health care so that all students have access. This means significantly increasing school psychologists and counselors, especially in rural areas. I do not support arming teachers, but school resource officers are an important part of secure schools for our students.
Iowa’s six-week “fetal heartbeat” abortion ban is now in effect. What next steps do you believe the Iowa Legislature should take when it comes to abortion?
Boden: Now that the heartbeat bill is in effect, I believe we should focus on fighting for policies that promote life and support strong families in Iowa. My focus is on making improvements to our foster care and adoption systems, increasing access to quality maternal health care, providing financial and educational support for new parents, particularly in the case of unplanned pregnancies, and expanding access to quality and affordable child care.
Waugh: If elected, I would work with the Republicans to honor what I believe to be true: The Legislature should make sure a woman can make that decision with her doctor, not with her elected officials. I also know this law is causing families seeking fertility treatments real difficulty and pain because it could limit a patient’s access to fertility treatments. We must protect and support the rights of every patient to choose the medical care that best fits their needs, without government interference.
Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm.
The Iowa City Community Band (ICCB) returns this summer with performances throughout Iowa City and Coralville in June and July. Now in its 43rd season, ICCB is proud to once again be led by Rob Medd, a retired band director from Iowa City West High School, for the 19th year.
We perform nine times, including Coralville’s 4thFest Parade and pre-fireworks show. Our first three concerts are:
- 12 noon, Saturday, June 6 at the Iowa Arts Festival in downtown Iowa City
- 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 10 at McPherson Park
- 7 p.m., Sunday, June 14 at Fairmeadows Park
Each concert features a combination of traditional marches, contemporary pieces, and some familiar classics. For a full concert schedule, visit our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ICCBand).
Rehearsals are held on Saturdays at 10 a.m. (May 30 through July 18, excluding June 6 and July 4) at West High School. New members — high school age and older — are welcome throughout the summer, with no audition required. Because new music is introduced each week, participation is flexible and ideal for those who can only join for part of the season. If you are interested in participating or learning more, send an email to iccb.communityband@gmail.com.
ICCB operates solely on donations from individuals and local businesses to provide free concerts to the public.
If you would like to contribute, send your donation to: Iowa City Community Band – c/o West Music, 1212 5th Street, Coralville, IA 52241. Make checks payable to “Iowa City Community Band”.
The Iowa City Community Band is ready for a great summer of making music together. We hope that you’ll join us often, either as a musician or an audience member. See you at the park.
April Donlon serves as the publicist and plays Alto Saxophone for the Iowa City Community Band.
MONONA, Iowa (KCRG) – One person was injured and a suspect is dead after a stabbing in Monona Wednesday night.
Monona police responded to a report of a stabbing in the 200 block of South Page Street at 7:37 p.m.
Officers found a person outside a residence suffering from multiple stab wounds. The person was taken to a local hospital with a tourniquet applied.
According to investigators, the suspect barricaded himself on the second floor of the residence, where he had access to several firearms. The Clayton County CERT Team was called in after several attempts to get the suspect to exit the residence failed.
The suspect was found dead from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
This is an ongoing investigation. No further information has been released.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Democrats will debate in Iowa US Senate primary shaped by outside money and big-name endorsements
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two Democrats vying to be Iowa’s next U.S. senator are scheduled to debate Thursday, as each seeks to convince voters he’s better positioned to flip the Republican-held seat in a contest that has seen heavy outside spending and high-profile endorsements.
State lawmakers Zach Wahls and Josh Turek are competing in a June 2 primary. It is one of a few remaining competitive Democratic Senate primaries this year, as the party looks to find the best approach to reclaim the U.S. Senate this fall.
Iowa’s Republican Sen. Joni Ernst opted out of a reelection bid, leaving the seat open for the first time since she replaced retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin in 2014. Republican Senate leaders have backed Ashley Hinson, a congresswoman representing northeast Iowa, committing $29 million for her to help keep their thin majority.
Democrats see an opportunity to flip seats in the once-competitive state, despite President Donald Trump’s double-digit win in the last presidential election and an all-Republican federal delegation. But first they need to settle which federal candidate will be at the top of the ticket. Early voting began Wednesday.
An influx of cash has shaped the final stretch
While Wahls and Turek have raised and spent similar amounts, a Democratic political organization, VoteVets, has spent about $7 million to support Turek in the final stretch of the campaign. That’s more than the two candidates have spent combined.
Turek, who is not a veteran, was born with spina bifida after his father’s exposure to chemicals while serving in the Vietnam War. The group has said Turek is uniquely positioned to advocate for veterans’ services, especially health care and military families.
Wahls has criticized the influx of cash as insiders in Washington trying to exert outsized influence, and it’s likely to come up again Thursday, as it did at an Iowa Press debate last week.
Tensions over the future of the party
Wahls has been vocal about who should — or should not — lead Senate Democrats, saying he would not vote for Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York to be the caucus leader.
“The leadership of Chuck Schumer has failed the Democratic Party, it has failed the state and it has failed this country,” Wahls said during last week’s debate. “Dark money has an agenda, and that agenda is to protect the broken status quo and the failed leadership of Sen. Schumer.”
Schumer has tried to keep the focus on Republicans.
Wahls is endorsed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who joined him in Iowa for campaign events over the weekend. The progressive senator told voters the Senate needs Democrats who are willing to “get in there and stand up and fight.” Wahls also often highlights the support he’s seen from unions and local elected officials.
Turek responded to Wahls’ criticism saying he’s not a “DC insider.”
“I don’t know these folks,” he said. Turek explained his criteria for leader candidates but stopped short of saying he wouldn’t support Schumer.
“I will go up and ask whoever is deciding to run for leadership … ‘What are you going to do for Iowa? What are you going to do for Iowans? What are you going to do for the middle class?’” Turek said.
In the last week, Turek unveiled a rare endorsement from Harkin, who represented Iowa in Washington for three decades, as well as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Turek also has collected endorsements from sitting U.S. senators, including Illinois’ Tammy Duckworth, New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan and Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto.
Drawing greater contrast on issues
In the first debate last week, Turek and Wahls were aligned on many issues. Both said that they would not support the Republican president’s tariffs or the war in Iran and that they do support raising the minimum wage and restoring health care access with a public insurance option. They criticized corruption in Washington and proposed higher taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans.
But they also started to draw some contrasts. More of that is likely Thursday.
Wahls referenced a law Turek supported in the Iowa legislature that makes it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally. Turek defended his vote, saying it was Biden-era legislation and stressed the importance of a secure U.S.-Mexico border. Turek said he also supports an easier path to citizenship and reforms to immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Turek highlighted his working-class background and contrasted his work for a nonprofit with Wahls’ work for a super PAC focused on electing young Democrats.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.
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