Democrats Ramp Up Iowa Efforts for 2026 Midterms

Democrats are ramping up efforts to revive Iowa as a battleground state for the 2026 midterm elections, deploying dozens of field organizers and targeting multiple Republican-held seats amid economic pressures on farmers and rural communities.

Iowa has leaned Republican for over a decade, with President Donald Trump securing double-digit victories in recent presidential contests and the state sending an all-GOP congressional delegation to Washington. Republicans also hold full control of state government. Yet Democratic leaders see opportunity in open races for governor and U.S. Senate, as Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Joni Ernst decline reelection bids. Nonpartisan analysts now view the governor's race and two U.S. House contests as competitive.

State Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart described Iowa as "still, in my view, a purple state" that voters have not had a chance to demonstrate lately. The party plans 60 field organizers by June, nearly double the number from midterms eight years ago, plus two dozen staff for a coordinated campaign supporting candidates statewide. It has leased eight field offices, with seven more planned, including in eastern Iowa's blue-collar areas. Over...