Iowa

‘This is the grassroots.’ Iowans gather to caucus ahead of midterms

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2026

‘This is the grassroots.’ Iowans gather to caucus ahead of midterms

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra rallied Republicans at a West Des Moines caucus site Monday, Feb. 2, as both parties work to get organized ahead of a competitive midterm election year.

His stop at the Stilwell Junior High caucus site was Feenstra’s first of several planned visits across Polk and Dallas counties, and he touted his work in the state Legislature and in Congress as he appealed to some of his party’s most active members.

“This last year has just been amazing working with President Trump and making sure that we take America first,” he told the group. “I was on Air Force One last week. We were talking about this — making sure that we continue lowering taxes, to make sure that we lower prices at the gas pump and our groceries and all this other stuff.”

Republicans and Democrats held their Iowa Caucuses Feb. 2 at locations across the state.

For Feenstra and other candidates facing a June 2 primary election, this year’s caucuses presented a chance to elevate their name recognition among key party activists, gather signatures to get on the ballot and recruit supporters as they look to break away from the pack.

Especially in years when there is no presidential nomination, the caucuses are about getting the parties organized, submitting planks to be included in their platforms, persuading people to sign up as delegates and getting them to commit to being involved with their local party apparatus.

Feenstra is one of five candidates running for the Republican Party’s gubernatorial nomination. The others include state Rep. Eddie Andrews, businessman Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former Department of Administrative Services director Adam Steen.

At Stilwell Junior High, each of the remaining four gubernatorial candidates had a supporter designated to speak on their behalf.

Representatives also spoke in favor of Republican U.S. Reps. Zach Nunn, who is seeking reelection to the 3^rd District, and Ashley Hinson, who is running to replace Joni Ernst in the U.S. Senate.

For candidates, Iowa Caucuses are a chance to engage with the grassroots

Feenstra told reporters that he was excited to engage with the grassroots of his party.

“This is the time where the Republican Party gets together, talks about policy, and talks about how we’re going to make sure that we keep this state red, making sure that we don’t get extreme liberals running this great state,” he said. “So that’s what’s happening today, and I’m so excited. This is the grassroots. These are the people that door knock. They put out the signs and everything like that. So it’s fun to be a part of it.”

Laura Ridgway, a 65-year-old West Des Moines resident who caucused Monday, said she feels a responsibility to come.

“How can you complain about your government if you’re not willing to participate and create change or at least listen?” she said.

She said she likes what she knows about Feenstra, but she’s also interested in Steen. She knows Steen has been endorsed by conservative media personality Steve Deace and respects his recommendation.

Mostly, she said, she wants a governor who can keep the state “in line with Christian values.”

Dale Helling spoke in favor of Steen at the Stilwell caucus site Monday after meeting him at a recent fundraiser and coming away “super impressed.”

He likes that Steen has experience in both the private and government sectors, and he thinks Steen would stack up against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand “very well” in a potential debate.

“I think he’s our best candidate, quite honestly,” Helling said.

He said he’ll vote for whoever ends up winning the primary, but now he’s disappointed that Feenstra isn’t engaging more with the GOP primary field.

“I think Randy might be a little awkward at times,” Helling said. “And quite honestly, I’m not happy — I can see why he’s doing it — but he’s ducking everybody right now. He’s refusing to debate. He probably has the lead right now because of name recognition, and he has more money. So he’s choosing really not to engage. And I don’t like that. You should be out there debating with everybody else, and he’s not doing it.”

Feenstra has increasingly come under fire from party activists for opting out of forums and events that feature his primary opponents, including a Jan. 27 debate in Des Moines.

That debate was the same day Trump visited Iowa, and Feenstra said he was flying to and from Des Moines on Air Force One with Trump and couldn’t attend the event.

Feenstra told reporters he asked Trump for his endorsement on that flight, and he hopes to earn the president’s support this primary cycle. So far, the president has not waded into Iowa’s gubernatorial race, although he has made endorsements in three of the state’s four congressional districts.

Some underdog candidates organize with an eye to possible contested convention

In Iowa, if a candidate in a primary race can’t clear 35% of the vote, the nominee is selected by a group of delegates at the party’s convention.

The selection of those delegates begins on caucus night, with volunteers offering to serve first at the county level, then the district and ultimately the state level.

It’s a possibility for which some groups and campaigns were actively preparing as they went into caucus night.

Chuck Hurley, vice president of Christian conservative organization The Family Leader, has encouraged his group’s supporters to attend their caucuses by reminding them in a series of emails that they could play an outsized role in selecting the party’s nominee for governor if a convention becomes a reality.

“For me, it’s just simple math,” he told the Des Moines Register. “If you have four, five, you know, six candidates in a race, you start dividing up the vote, because they each have people that support them.”

The Steen campaign said they were also preparing for the possibility by making connections with key activists and encouraging them to caucus and become delegates.

“We want to be very active at caucus, because we know if this thing does go to convention, we want people represented at state convention who will support Adam Steen,” said Rob Peters, Steen’s campaign manager.

The selection of a nominee at convention is relatively rare, but the process is far different than an open election and can give way to unpredictable results based on the preferences of those delegates who happen to be serving.

In 2014, David Young won the Republican nomination in the 3^rd District congressional race after finishing in fifth place in the primary election and after five rounds of voting at the convention. He later went on to win the general election.

Currently, Feenstra is viewed as the race’s frontrunner. He is a sitting congressman with a large war chest, high name recognition among potential voters and a network of high-profile supporters.

It would be a significant upset if he were unable to hit the 35% benchmark. But so far, Feenstra has been unable to clear the primary field.

Billy Fuerst, a spokesperson for Feenstra, said the campaign is not worried about the possibility of a contested convention.

He noted the campaign’s most recent fundraising report, which showed Feenstra easily leading the GOP field with $4.3 million in fundraising — more than the rest of the Republican field combined.

“We have the resources to win. We have the message to win. And our polling also confirms Congressman Feenstra is the commanding frontrunner in this primary election,” Fuerst said. “And again, he will be nominated in June to be the Republican nominee for governor of Iowa, and he will defeat extreme liberal Rob Sand with his common-sense conservative message.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She writes about campaigns, elections and the Iowa Caucuses. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.

Source link

Click to comment

Iowa

Iowa Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday results for May 8, 2026

Published

6 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.

Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing

37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing

Midday: 0-5-8

Evening: 9-9-2

Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing

Midday: 0-2-7-3

Evening: 0-7-0-6

Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing

14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Iowa

Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid

Published

18 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid

IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.

The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.

“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.

Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.

At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.

That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.

“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.

The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.

“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.

Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.

For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.

Source link

Iowa

Harkin backs Turek for Iowa Senate

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Scoop: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek snagged a major endorsement for his Senate bid from former Sen. Tom Harkin.

Harkin, who retired in 2015, was the last Democrat to represent Iowa in the Senate. Turek is locked in a competitive primary with state Sen. Zach Wahls in a race that has divided major factions of the Democratic Party.

“I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you,” Harkin said in his endorsement. “That’s why I’m supporting Josh Turek.”

Harkin served in the Senate for 30 years and is the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Turek, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was 11 when the ADA was enacted.

Harkin is a widely sought after endorsement in the Hawkeye State. His decision to wade into the race is notable because Harkin also has a relationship with Wahls.

Wahls called Harkin “one of my closest political mentors,” and said the former senator officiated his wedding in 2021.

Iowa’s Senate primaries are June 2.

Source link