Iowa
National Democratic group boosts 7 ‘spotlight’ candidates in Iowa House and Senate races
A national Democratic group is boosting seven candidates for the Iowa House and Senate as the party aims to flip Republican-held seats this November and begin to climb out of the minority.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, an arm of the national Democratic Party dedicated to electing Democrats to statehouses around the country, named the seven Iowa “spotlight” candidates Tuesday. They are:
- Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, who is running for a second term in House District 20.
- Heather Sievers, who is challenging Rep. Bill Gustoff, R-Des Moines, in House District 40.
- Tiara Mays-Sims, who is challenging Rep. Eddie Andrews, R-Johnston, in House District 43.
- Aime Wichtendahl, who is running for House District 80, an open seat in Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Robins.
- Matt Blake, who is challenging Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, in Senate District 22.
- Sen. Eric Giddens, D-Cedar Falls, who is running for reelection in Senate District 38.
- Nannette Griffin, who is challenging Sen. Jeff Reichman, R-Montrose, in Senate District 50.
The news comes one day after the DLCC announced a plan to spend $10 million nationwide as part of its “Summer of the States” campaign. It’s not clear how much money the group could spend in Iowa.
Democrats are in the minority in the Iowa House, holding 36 seats to Republicans’ 64. And Republicans enjoy a supermajority in the Iowa Senate, with 34 seats to Democrats’ 16.
More: Iowa Democrats urge focus on education, abortion as they seek wins in November elections
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, is the top Democrat in the Iowa House and a member of the DLCC board.
She said the national party’s decision to highlight candidates in Iowa “shows that what we’ve been saying for a while is true, which is that Iowa is a purple state.”
She pointed to the fact that Iowa’s 1st and 3rd congressional districts, which are held by Republican U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, are on national Democrats’ list of top congressional seats to flip this year.
“It just goes to show you that the message that we’ve been giving for a long time, which is don’t give up on Iowa, has broken through,” she said. “And that some national folks are looking at Iowa and saying, ‘OK, this place can come back to purple. This place can come back into balance. Let’s get engaged and see what we can do.’”
Konfrst said it will take time for Democrats to win back majorities in the Iowa House and Senate, but argued the national party can see “we’re doing really good work to rebuild.”
“The DLCC knows that we’re not going to flip the Iowa House this year or the Senate,” she said. “But they also know that you don’t get there unless you start investing now. And so that’s why it really means a lot that they’re here and they’ve picked some great candidates.”
In a news release the DLCC said Republican majorities in the Iowa House and Senate “has posed grave threats to Iowans’ fundamental freedoms.”
The group highlighted Iowa Republican policies to restrict abortion, including a bill that passed the Iowa House to raise penalties for ending someone’s pregnancy without their consent.
Democrats and Senate Republicans said the legislation could endanger access to in vitro fertilization because it would have defined an “unborn person” as beginning at fertilization. The bill did not become law.
More: IVF fears scuttle Iowa bill raising penalty for ending pregnancy without consent
“Iowa Republicans made national headlines this year for their egregious threats to reproductive rights, and Democrats have the candidates this year to fight back and win targeted races,” DLCC President Heather Williams said in a statement. “The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is proud to announce our Spotlight candidates in Iowa, whose fierce support of fundamental freedoms and democracy will be instrumental for combatting the GOP agenda.”
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (KUOO) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources continues to recommend no swimming at one beach in the Iowa Great Lakes.
Iowa DNR officials say Crandall’s Beach on the north shore of Big Spirit Lake continued to have high levels of E. coli bacteria in the latest tests conducted last week.
The agency says Emerson Bay, which was on the list of recommended no-swimming locations a week ago, has been removed from the designation as the levels there had dropped below the advisory guideline. Ainsworth Beach on the south side of Big Spirit Lake, along with those at Gull Point, Pikes Point and Marble Beach, were all listed as safe for swimming.
Officials caution that bacteria levels can change quickly depending on weather and other conditions.
Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app.
Copyright 2026 KTIV. All rights reserved.
It’s an underrated storyline that I can’t help but think will rear its head at some point this season for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The complete overhaul of the special teams unit is a massive change for this team after years of continuity under LeVar Woods, who is now coaching at Michigan State.
The Hawkeyes will see a new placekicker, punter, and return man. Drew Stevens is kicking in the NFL, Rhys Dakin followed Woods to Michigan State to punt, and Kaden Wetjen took his return talents to the NFL as well.
Chris Polizzi is at the helm now and has a blank canvas to fill out with his depth chart before Week 1 versus Northern Illinois.
Kicker
Kicker: Eli Ozick
The Hawkeyes only roster two kickers, Eli Ozick and Caden Buhr, who will compete for the starting job.
Ozick comes to Iowa from the North Dakota State Bison, where he was 16-for-18 last year, which earned him Second-Team FCS All-American notoriety. That performance translates well to Iowa, where I think he gets the nod in Week 1.
Should things go sideways, Caden Buhr could step in to kick. He was with Iowa last year and has one kickoff under his belt.
Punter
Punter: Boston Everitt
Only at Iowa is the starting punter such a focus. It’s what makes Iowa, well, Iowa. Iowa has dipped into its Australian pipeline with Boston Everitt, who comes from the University of Melbourne. Iowa’s trend of Australian punters gives Everitt the slightest of nods.
The other punter rostered is Tanner Philpott, a D3 AP All-American last year at Simpson College. Philpott has much more collegiate experience and could easily push for the job. It won’t be a shock to see Iowa give him in-game opportunities.
Long Snapper
Long Snapper: Ike Speltz
Long snappers simply don’t get enough love. No one knows their name or hears of them unless the snap has gone bad. It’s a thankless job, but someone has to do it.
Ike Speltz saw some long snapping action in 2025, which gives him the track here. He is also Iowa’s only long snapper listed on the roster.
Kick and Punt Returners
Punt Returner: Zach Lutmer
Kickoff Returner: Nathan McNeil
I make this prediction very begrudgingly. Zach Lutmer is going to be such a focal point on defense that exposing him to injury here is a bit scary. He is that talented with the ball, though.
Other names to watch for in the return game come from the running back room. I think Iowa could give kickoff return duties to the running back room. Nathan McNeil or Brevin Doll, two athletic backs, could get their chance on kickoffs.
Follow
On the eve of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, Iowa basketball’s Bennett Stirtz has been talked about on several mock draft boards as potentially being the Hawkeyes’ first opening-round selection since Kris Murray was chosen No. 23 overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2023.
As the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder from Liberty, Missouri, prepares to join a collection of future stars in the NBA draft green room on Tuesday night, CBS Sports’ most recent NBA mock draft projects the former Hawkeye to slide to the back of the first round and be selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the No. 29 overall slot.
Here is what CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno had to say about his projection for Stirtz:
One of the point guards is bound to slide a bit on draft night. I could see that being Stirtz. The Iowa star has had an incredible rise from playing at the Division II level to being a likely first-round pick. This would be a BPA (best player available) pick from the Cavs.
In his one season with the Hawkeyes after transferring from Drake, Stirtz was the centerpiece of Iowa’s historic March Madness run that saw the program reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987, averaging 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game on 47.7% field goal shooting and 35.8% 3-point shooting in his 37 games played.
While a slide for Stirtz is not ideal given his immense talent, falling to a Cavaliers squad that has appeared in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals is certainly not something to scoff at.
With a 36-year-old James Harden at the starting point guard position alongside 32-year-old Dennis Schroder, the Cavaliers will likely look for more youth at the position to add alongside Craige Porter Jr. and 2025 2nd-round pick Tyrese Proctor.
The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft will be nationally broadcast on ABC from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT on June 23.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
-
Augusta, GA7 minutes agoRichmond County school board member Walter H. Eubanks dies
-
Washington, D.C9 minutes agoFirst Nebraska civics bee champion crowned, will head to Washington, D.C. for national competition
-
Cleveland, OH15 minutes agoMax McEnelly Lands High-Profile Matchup With Bo Nickal at RAF
-
Austin, TX22 minutes agoNational Hockey League seeking expansion in Houston and Austin as potential targets
-
Alabama24 minutes agoAlabama hits home with plans for Tuscaloosa 2027 Edge on official visit
-
Alaska30 minutes agoAir Force’s Fightertown Alaska Plan Takes Shape
-
Arizona37 minutes agoArizona man convicted for role in bringing cocaine to Cincinnati, other US locations for over 5 years
-
Arkansas39 minutes agoRegistration opens for Arkansas urban deer hunts
