Opinions and Editorials Section
By Grady Andersen, Guest Writer
Two high-profile retirements may lead to Iowa becoming a swing state, and growing concern for Republican possibilities in 2028.
Iowa is a great indicator of where the American people stand on Donald Trump and his Administration. Trump has always performed extremely poorly in polling and his approval rating being low could be attributed to this. If these seats are flipped, it may lead to some concerns for the GOP holding onto the White House in 2028.
Between Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa) announcing that she would not run back in April and now Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)announcing her retirement, there is a lot of concern that Iowa could return to its battleground status for the 2028 presidential election.
The race for governor is filled with many interesting names, but the two main front-runners are State Auditor Rob Sand (D-Iowa) and Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa). While Feenstra is a Trump supporter and a Republican, Trump has somewhat disappointed rural Iowa. The majority of the state and the main part that Feenstra has represented during his time in Congress. This has led Sand to get a sliver of hope about breaking the Republican win streak that started in 2011.
Even before Reynolds’ retirement, polls gave Democrats a small chance to flip the seat. With the momentum Sand has developed, using a grassroots movement and relying heavily on town halls and in-person events, some polls have shown that this race could be won by Sand.
Feenstra has been put in a tough spot, as he was not always a Trump supporter. He originally endorsed Tim Scott for president, but after 2024, he has aligned himself with Trump. The main question is if he is going to align the state with Trump’s policies, or if he is going to take a more traditional approach and focus on the state first.
The Senate seat is more clear-cut on the surface, but looking at the candidates and their record leads some to wonder if this race could be close. The presumptive nominees are Rep. Ashley Hinson, one of the Republicans’ rising stars, and Zach Wahls (D-Iowa), a state senator and former Minority Leader of the House.
Zach Wahls, pictured above, is adored by many in the Democratic Party as he has held a seat in the Senate for seven years.
Hinson is a freshman state representative who came onto the scene as one of Trump’s fiercest supporters, helping spur the federal ban on transgender athletes as well as supporting the deployment of ICE Agents and the National Guard in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. She is seen as more extreme than Feenstra, but has gathered a lot of endorsements, including President Trump and Ernst.
Zach Wahls, on the other hand, has a lot more name recognizability than Hinson. He has long advocated for LGBTQ+ rights and has held his seat in the Iowa Senate since 2018. He then served as the Minority Senate Leader for the 2021 session, but only lasted two years before resigning from the position after several disagreements with other colleagues in the Senate. He is considered the favorite for the Democratic nomination, but is facing a strong challenge from Josh Turek, a state representative and Paralympian.
