Iowa

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

Published

1 month 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.

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Iowa

No. 3 Michigan holds off a late run by Iowa, beats the Hawkeyes 71-68

Published

35 minutes ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

No. 3 Michigan holds off a late run by Iowa, beats the Hawkeyes 71-68

IOWA CITY, Iowa — IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points apiece, and Aday Mara had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22 as No. 3 Michigan defeated Iowa 71-68 on Thursday night.

The Wolverines (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) were held 18 points below their season scoring average, but managed to hold off the Hawkeyes (20-10, 10-9) in the closing seconds.

Iowa went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 64 with 1:56 to play before Mara banked in a shot before the shot clock expired, putting Michigan in front again. After Iowa’s Cam Manyawu scored inside to tie the game at 66, Mara, who finished with 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, scored off a lob with 43 seconds left to put the Wolverines ahead to stay.

Iowa had chances to tie the game on back-to-back possessions, but missed three shots on one of the possessions and lost the ball on another after a turnover by Tavion Banks with seven seconds left.

The Hawkeyes had a final chance to tie the game after Lendeborg made two free throws with four seconds remaining, but Bennett Stirtz’s 3-pointer try was long.

Elliot Cadeau added 11 points for the Wolverines, the Big Ten regular-season champions.

Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points. Manyawu had 14.

Michigan had a 38-25 rebounding edge on the Hawkeyes.

The game was tied at 30 at halftime. Michigan shot 50% from the field, but committed 12 turnovers that Iowa turned into 16 points.

The Hawkeyes were 11 of 31 from the field, with Stirtz especially struggling to make shots. Stirtz, Iowa’s leading scorer this season, made just one of his first nine shots, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 27-second span to give Iowa a 30-28 lead.

Up next

Michigan: Hosts No. 8 Michigan State on Sunday.

Iowa: At No. 9 Nebraska on Sunday.

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Iowa

Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship

Published

13 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship

Wrestling-Women

March 5, 2026

Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship

March 5, 2026

Kylie Welker chats with NCAA Digital’s Sophie Starkey about the success of Iowa women’s wrestling and the possibility of winning the inaugural NCAA sanctioned championship.

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Iowa

Iowa House OKs ‘3 strikes’ bill with 20-year prison terms. What to know

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Iowa House OKs ‘3 strikes’ bill with 20-year prison terms. What to know

Iowans who commit multiple serious crimes would face a mandatory 20-year prison sentence under a “three strikes” bill passed by House lawmakers.
Republicans said the bill would keep Iowans safe and “prioritize victims and public safety over criminals.”
A nonpartisan state agency says the bill would disproportionately impact Black Iowans and could require the state to spend millions to build a new prison.

Repeat offenders convicted of multiple serious crimes would receive a mandatory 20-year prison sentence under a bill passed by House lawmakers.

House lawmakers debated for more than an hour about high costs, lack of prison space and the bill’s impact on Black Iowans before voting 68-23 to pass House File 2542, sending it to the Iowa Senate.

Seven Democrats, including Minority Leader Brian Meyer, D-Des Moines, joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill.

“It will put public safety first,” said the bill’s floor manager, Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison. “It will ensure that the debt to victims and society is paid. It will prioritize victims and public safety over criminals. It will establish real and effective deterrence that is nonexistent in our current system. It will reduce chaos and violence in our society.”

Here’s what to know about the bill.

What would the House Republican three strikes bill do?

Iowans who accumulate three strikes would face a mandatory 20-year prison sentence, with no parole, under the bill.

That would replace Iowa’s current law that says habitual offenders must serve a minimum three-year prison sentence before they are eligible for parole.

All felonies, as well as aggravated misdemeanors involving sexual abuse, domestic abuse, assault and organized retail theft would be considered level-one offenses that are worth one full strike.

Other aggravated misdemeanors, as well as serious misdemeanors involving assault, domestic abuse and criminal mischief would be considered level-two offenses worth half a strike each.

Lawmakers amended the bill to remove theft, harassment and possession of a controlled substance from the crimes that would count toward a person’s strikes.

And the amendment specifies that the bill would only apply to convictions that occur beginning July 1, 2026.

If someone is arrested and convicted of multiple offenses, only the most serious charge would count towards the defendant’s strikes.

Convictions would not count toward someone’s total if more than 20 years passes between a prior conviction and their current conviction.

Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill to say that only a violent crime would qualify as someone’s third strike, but Republicans rejected the amendment.

“The bill still scores murder, felony embezzlement and felony theft the same, even though they are very different crimes,” Wilburn said. “One point is one point and three gets you 20 years with no ability for parole or judicial discretion.”

Holt said the legislation leaves room for judicial and prosecutorial discretion.

“There are deferred sentences, there are plea bargains,” he said. “There is plenty of opportunity for grace and judicial discretion in the legislation that we are proposing.”

Bill could cost millions, require Iowa to build a new prison, agency says

A fiscal analysis of the bill by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency said it could cost Iowa nearly $165 million more per year by 2031 based on the cost of housing inmates for longer prison stays.

FY 2027: $33 million
FY 2028: $66 million
FY 2029: $99 million
FY 2030: $132 million
FY 2031: $164.9 million

The agency said if the bill had been in effect between fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2025, there would have been 5,373 people who qualified for the 20-year mandatory minimum sentence.

“An increase in the prison population due to increased (length of stay) will require the DOC to build additional prison(s),” the agency states. “The size, security and other features that a future prison may require cannot be determined, but costs would be significant.”

The analysis noted that South Dakota appropriated $650 million last fall to build a 1,500-bed prison.

As of March 1, the Iowa Department of Corrections’ website describes the state’s prison system as being overcrowded by 25%, with 8,705 inmates compared to a capacity of 6,990.

The Office of the State Public Defender could see a projected cost increase of $1.6 million due to an increased number of trials resulting from the legislation.

But the agency’s estimates come with a caveat — the Department of Corrections did not respond to its requests for data.

“The LSA has not received a response to multiple requests for information from the DOC,” the note states. “Without additional information, the LSA cannot estimate the total fiscal impact of the bill.”

Holt called the fiscal note “an embarrassment to the Department of Corrections” and “an agenda masquerading as math.”

“It is clear, in my judgment, that because they did not like the legislation they went all out and extreme to create a fiscal note that cannot be taken seriously in its assumptions,” he said. “It assumes that nothing will change, that there will be no deterrent factor and that the numbers will continue as usual.”

Black Iowans would be disproportionately impacted by the law

The Legislative Services Agency analysis says the bill “may disproportionately impact Black individuals if trends remain constant.”

Of the 29,438 people convicted in fiscal year 2025 of felonies and aggravated misdemeanors that constitute a level one offense under the bill, the agency said about 70% were White, 22% were Black and 9% were other races.

Iowa’s overall population is 83% White, 4% Black and 13% other races, the agency said.

It’s not clear how the bill’s impact would change to account for the House amendment removing some crimes from counting towards the three strikes.

“Expanding three-strike laws will intensify disparities — and that’s what this statement shows — by mandating longer sentences, limiting judicial discretion,” Wilburn said. “We already have a habitual offender statute. We already have one in place. We have a 10-year low in recidivism in our correctional system.”

Rep. Angel Ramirez, D-Cedar Rapids, said California’s three strikes law, passed in the 1990s, worsened racial disparities, and “Iowa is about to repeat the same mistake.”

“I urge every member here, do not pass legislation that our own minority impact statement tells us will deepen inequality in our state,” Ramirez said.

Holt said minority communities in Iowa are impacted by crime and that the legislation “will make citizens of all colors safer.”

And he said the minority impact statement “tells only one side of the story, doesn’t it? It tells the criminal’s story. What about the victim’s story?”

“What about the mother who will continue to tuck her kids in at night and read them Bible stories because she never became the next victim of a violent career criminal?” he said. “Where is that data point in the minority impact statement?”

House lawmakers also approved separate legislation that would increase Iowa’s statewide bond schedule, Senate File 2399.

That bill passed on a vote of 74-19.

Iowans could see more information on judges’ rulings

Iowans would have access to more information about judges’ rulings ahead of the state’s judicial retention elections under a separate measure, House File 2719, which passed on a 73-19 vote.

The Iowa secretary of state’s office would be required to publish information including:

The percentage of cases in which the judge set a bond amount lower than the state’s bond schedule
The frequency that the judge releases someone on their own recognizance for a violent offense compared to a nonviolent offense
The frequency that the judge’s final sentence is lower than statutory recommendations or a prosecutor’s recommendations
The number of times the judge issues a deferred judgement, deferred sentence or suspended sentence
The number of times the judge’s rulings are reversed on appeal due to abuse of discretion or error of law
The average time it takes the judge to rule on a motion or case
The number of cases the judge has resolved compared to the number of cases on the judge’s docket

The data would have to be displayed with a five-year trend line beginning five years after the bill takes effect.

The Secretary of State’s Office would also be required to maintain a searchable database of all judicial opinions and orders for the judge’s current term and the preceding six years. The decisions would be redacted when appropriate.

And judges would have the opportunity to write a 2,000-word personal statement on their judicial philosophy or data trends present in their rulings.

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 X at @sgrubermiller.

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