Senate File 75 Gets Real

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Paul Deaton
Old Capitol in Iowa City, Iowa

When Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 75 into law on April 11, 2025, the legislative fight gave way to an organized implementation that changed the politics of affected counties. The law requires Johnson, Story, and Black Hawk counties—those with public universities—to shift from at-large to district-based elections for county supervisors, with changes taking effect during the 2026 election cycle. The change is getting real.

Iowa City attorney Jim Larew filed a lawsuit to request a temporary injunction to stop the law. When a district court judge denied the request, the counties got to work implementing the changes as best they could. I live in Johnson County, and some things stand out:

  • None of the counties refused to implement the law.
  • Each county used the Legislative Services Agency to draw district maps.
  • Every supervisor seat is on the ballot in 2026, including supervisors elected two years ago to a four-year term.
  • There are plenty of candidates for supervisor, especially in Johnson County where there are 14 candidates for 5 supervisor positions.

The highest profile race in Johnson County is between incumbents Rod Sullivan and V Fixmer-Oraiz in District 4. Sullivan is a long-serving progressive supervisor, while Fixmer-Oraiz represents a newer progressive challenge. That race has generated substantial local activism. Neither of them would have had this kind of campaign in the at-large system.

The increase in Johnson County candidate filings is noteworthy. With so many candidates, there is a sense county politics will change dramatically under the district system. That is the hope of candidates like Republican Phil Hemingway, running for county supervisor in his sixth campaign, this time in District 2. According to the May 7, Solon Economist:

Hemingway referred to SF 75 as an opportunity for small towns, like Solon, to not feel overshadowed by Iowa City’s political composition. Rural residents, who are smaller in number, feel diluted by surrounding urban interests. Solon, he said, has a very different political alignment than Iowa City.

I don’t think Hemingway (or the Solon Economist) did the election math. In District 2, where Solon lies, there is a mix of regions: rural, small city, a substantial number of Iowa City proper precincts. There is also the large Newport precinct that behaves like an Iowa City precinct. This doesn’t fit the talking point Republicans who favored Senate File 75 assert—better representation for small cities and rural residents, Based on where Democratic votes are located, the Iowa City precincts in District 2, along with Newport, have enough to determine the general election outcome despite Republican leaning precincts like Lone Tree, Solon, and Big Grove. Regardless of the winner of the three-way District 2 Democratic primary, Hemingway should plan to lose again.

District 2 is the crux of a new politics. The Republican meme about rural voters electing one of their own gives way to the reality that candidates will have to build credibility across an electorate that includes incompatible priorities. The new politics is about building coalitions.

Rural voters may feel frustrated if they expected Senate File 75 to create distinctly rural districts and instead find themselves still electorally tied to Iowa City voters. The biggest question is whether the district system diluted or preserved Iowa City’s influence. This stands out in District 2.

It seems obvious, but voters inside a district won’t vote as a monolith. The coalition a successful supervisor candidate will have to build includes university-affiliated progressives, older liberal homeowners, renters focused on affordability, labor-oriented Democrats, environmental activists, senior citizens, farmers, rural residents, families with school aged children, and more. My point is any candidate who treats “Iowa City” or “rural residents” or “small city folk” as a monolith has signed his candidacy’s death warrant. A successful candidate has to connect rural land use, watershed protection, food systems, road funding, housing growth, affordable housing, and taxes with the same needle and thread.

The better question for candidates is how do they build a coalition that actually decides turnout? The answer is far more nuanced than the original legislative debate over Senate File 75 suggested. Things are getting real as early voting starts at the Johnson County Auditor’s office on May 13.

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Pivot To The Primary

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Paul Deaton
Iowa State Capitol

When the legislature adjourned sine die at 7:08 p.m. last Sunday, the governor responded with a press release hitting my inbox at 7:12 p.m., proclaiming the 2026 session was a success. Long story short, “Republicans are delivering big for Iowans,” Governor Reynolds asserted in a statement. If you believe that, stand on your head.

Republican governance has been so bad, they even passed a law to hobble Reynolds’ replacement, assuming it will be Democrat Rob Sand. They tried this before with Sand as auditor and with Attorney General Tom Miller. The efficacy of this move is wearing thin.

Water quality is such a compelling issue in Chris Jones’ campaign for Secretary of Agriculture, Republicans passed a do-nothing water quality bill in the last week of session. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Republicans are on the run.

For now, the rhythm of Iowa politics shifts, trading the urgency and headlines of floor debate for something quieter but consequential. The June 2 primaries are upon us. The relative quiet of this coming month is not inactivity so much as a change in where and how politics happens.

Campaigns are no longer ramping up—they are knuckling down. Instead of large, highly publicized events, they focus on smaller gatherings: county meetings, fundraisers, informal meet-and-greets. Messaging becomes more targeted. Endorsements, local networks, and turnout operations take priority over broad visibility. Much of the real work happens in conversations rather than speeches—in living rooms, community events, and local party circles. Organizing for the election becomes more granular.

In the Republican primary, all eyes are on the governor’s race to see if any of four other candidates can beat Randy Feenstra. All five are serious candidates as far as that is possible for a Republican, far to the right of average Iowans. Rob Sand’s clear path to the general election put’s him in a better position with each passing week as Republicans jockey for position and votes.

I wrote about the Democratic primary races here. The most interesting of those are the county supervisor races under the new system Republicans put in place in three counties with a regents university. My sense is that regardless of what the current Johnson County board of supervisors has done recently, the election is a jump ball, not governed by logic or reasoning, but a desire for something new. From where I sit, the electorate is preoccupied with other things, such as making financial ends meet under Republican governance.

It is not too late to get involved with a primary campaign in a race important to you. My advice is don’t let the quiet lull you into inaction. Too much is at stake in November and the race to the general begins in earnest on June 2.

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Will Iowa Be An Authoritarian State Or A Democracy State?

Posted on May 8, 2026 by Trish Nelson

“There are no longer blue states and red states. There are now authoritarian states and democracy states – Stacey Abrams,  founder, Fair Fight Action

The flailing MAGA-Republican party along with their lord and savior Donald Trump, are doing everything they can right now to keep as many democrats as possible from voting. This is their main strategy and the situation is urgent. Don’t believe me. Ask Marc Elias.

Tuesday Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced he is handing over our voter information, including partial Social Security numbers, to the felon in the White House. It was a “request.” It is not agreed upon that he was required to obey. He chose to. Don’t worry though.  He consulted with Trump loyalist Brenna Bird and they both agree! So what could go wrong?

Des Moines Register:

Iowa turned over its voter registration data to the federal government, including sensitive information such as partial Social Security numbers of the state’s more than 2 million registered voters, according to Secretary of State Paul Pate.

Pate announced Tuesday, May 5, that the state had acceded to the Department of Justice’s request for Iowa’s voter rolls. Federal officials have asked for such data from several states, ostensibly to address concerns about election integrity and illegal voting.

However, states, not the federal government, are responsible for holding and running elections, and other states have resisted turning over voter information to the Trump administration.

According to Pate’s office, the voter files provided to the federal government include names, addresses, birthdates, party affiliation, partial social security numbers and drivers license numbers.

The federal requests come amid a broader push by the Trump administration to impose new restrictions on voting..” – DMReg

Iowa needs massive voter turnout in November.  Check your voter registration especially if you have moved since the last election or if you didn’t vote in the last election. Vote early. Vote straight Democrat. Volunteer with your local county party to register democrats.

Iowa Democrats lost 200,000 voters in 15 years. How it happened and what it means for 2026

For Iowa Secretary of State, we need to oust the Trump loyalist currently holding the office. Support and vote for Ryan Peterman, Democrat for SOS.

We must stop the corruption before it is too late.

 DONATE TO  DEMOCRAT RYAN PETERMAN
FOR IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE

If you still think it is hyperbole that they are trying to win by sabotage of elections, please watch this video and follow Democracy Docket.

And the latest on what Democrats are doing about it from Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles

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Democratic Primary Debate Turek v Wahls

Posted on May 7, 2026 by Trish Nelson

In case you missed it, be sure and watch the debate between Josh Turek and Zach Wahls. I will post some commentary about it at a later time. They agree on most issues but their differences were also highlighted.

 

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LWV Supervisor Candidate Forum District 1

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Trish Nelson

Johnson county courthouse

Good discussion about county government and how recent changes may affect voters and priorities. Interesting even if you do not live in Johnson county.

The only counties in Iowa forced to change to electing supervisors by district instead of at large are Johnson, Black Hawk and Story counties, homes to Iowa’s three regents universities.

Candidates:  Lisa Green-Douglass and David Woodruff

Are Republicans trying to gerrymander Johnson county?  

Reynolds Signs Controversial Election Bill Targeting Counties With Public Universities

 

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LWV Candidate Forums: Johnson County Board Of Supervisors

Posted on May 5, 2026 by Trish Nelson

Johnson County Courthouse, Iowa City

The three counties in Iowa that house regents universities – Johnson, Black Hawk and Story, have been forced by the Iowa legislature to elect county supervisors by district instead of at-large. Voters in the three counties sued to stop the new law from taking effect but at this time as far as I know it hasn’t been decided. In the meantime, these three counties have to proceed.  Here is a link that should tell you most of what you need to know about what happened in case you missed it.  dailyiowan.com/2025/10/26/lawsuit-filed-against-state-over-law-that-limits-voters-rights-in-counties-with-regent-universities/

I found these three candidate forums on the City of Iowa City YouTube channel.

League of Women Voters Candidate Forum: Johnson County Board of Supervisors District 2 Primary 

Candidates: Jessica Andino, Janet Godwin,  and Jon Green

 

League of Women Voters Candidate Forum: Johnson County Board of Supervisors District 4 Primary

Candidates: Rod Sullivan and V Fixmer-Oraiz 

 

League of Women Voters Candidate Forum: Johnson County Board of Supervisors District 5 Primary

Candidates: Joe Reilly and Mandi Remington

 

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Good Luck With That, Republicans

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Trish Nelson

She who can’t be bothered to answer questions from reporters.

As you have likely heard, Kim Reynolds and Iowa Rs are trying to make it look like they now also care about the water quality in Iowa.  Soon I predict they are going to be saying they thought of it first, and Chris Jones, the Democrat running for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture on the theme of “a vote for Chris Jones is a vote for water quality,”  stole their idea.

Reynolds’ strategy of throwing some money at the water problem they helped create is a transparent, desperate, purely political gambit.  As usual, the asleep Iowa press, but for a few exceptions, are reporting about it straight up. This is a problem that allows Iowa Rs to always be confident that no one will ever exactly laugh in their faces.  And to be fair to Kim Reynolds and friends, Iowans have been voting for Republicans for so long no matter what cra-cra they come up with, Rs naturally assume they can fool all of the people all of the time. Why wouldn’t they?

The Iowa trifecta simply cannot be trusted. They squandered time in office when they could have been helping Iowans access health care or supporting Iowa’s public schools, instead hog-tying State Auditor Rob Sand, by passing a law that essentially prevents the auditor’s office from conducting audits. I’m paraphrasing of course, but it can hardly be denied they intended to throw sand in the gears of the auditor’s office, and they have made it happen.  Sand has called it the “worst pro-corruption bill in Iowa history.”

Leaving nothing to chance, this corrupt hacking of the state auditor’s office has been followed by yet another clever move, pushing a new law stripping certain powers from the next governor, because it looks to everyone – apparently including Republicans – as if the next Iowa governor could be Democrat Rob Sand.  When he became an obvious threat to the Trifecta, something had to be done. I don’t believe a word of what Republicans have been saying to defend this maneuver. Here is a Bleeding Heartland post about it from February. I’m  not sure where the bill stands at this writing.

And so as mid-terms loom, to add to the Trifecta’s trouble,  it seems they can see Chris Jones coming for them and worse, they are shocked to see Iowans everywhere buying what Jones is selling. And if you believe Jones, which I do, Iowans are “fighting mad” about the water.

Check out Laura Belin’s interview with Jones below as he takes apart Kimmy’s pretend We-Care-About-Water-Quality-Too! plan.

Oh, and he looks a little tired as you might imagine. Go volunteer for the campaign and send money!

Iowa, this is our chance.

If you want to lose 30 minutes of your life that you will never get back, here’s a link where you can see Kim Reynolds actually addressing the Iowa press.

And here is a link to a one-page “explainer” of the plan courtesy of Laura Belin at Bleeding Heartland.com

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Progressive Spring Reading

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Paul Deaton
Photo by u00c1nh u0110u1eb7ng on Pexels.com

When I fill in for Trish or Dave on Blog for Iowa I post about what I am reading. In part, I do so to share books I felt were worthwhile. In part to encourage people to read actual books in any format. The sad state of American reading is hard to ignore. 40 percent of Americans read no books in the last year, with a majority reading four or fewer, according to recent statistics. If you only read four this year, here are some recommendations.

Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Each spring I re-read one of my favorites. It has been 50 years since I first opened Slaughterhouse-Five at university, the same university Vonnegut taught at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He famously wrote this book at 800 North Van Buren St. in Iowa City and was a presence throughout downtown when he was here. I wrote about this in 2021. I appreciate the cameo appearance of a local Sears and Roebuck warehouse in the book. The story itself holds up well and its unique narrative is constantly engaging. In a time when fiction seems formulaic, Vonnegut is a refresher in what it means to be alive.

Sarah Smarsh’s strongest work to date is in Bone of the Bone: Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class. Her first book, Heartland, was a sensation; her second, She Come By It Naturally, fell flat for me. Smarsh’s strengths are well suited to the type of short essays in Bone of the Bone. It left me wanting to read more. I reviewed it here.

Hannah Ritchie is the kind of data head I would like to be and her new book, Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change in 50 Questions and Answers is part of the reason. In it, she explains aspects of solving the climate crisis using data to back up her statements. This one is worth reading. I reviewed it here.

People don’t know about Lance M. Foster’s The Indians of Iowa and I seek to remedy that. Foster studied anthropology and holds an advanced degree from Iowa State University. The University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist wrote a tribute to him on the occasion of his 2025 death. Find it here. We so often trace Iowa’s lineage to the Black Hawk War in 1832, but Foster takes it deeper in simple, straight-forward language. There is a bibliography, tour guide, and notes for further reading. It is an entry point into native culture in Iowa.

So there are four books to read this year. Please drop a comment and share what you are reading this spring.

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Being Progressive After Louisiana vs. Callais

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Paul Deaton
President Lyndon B. Johnson addressing a crowd during campaign rally in Pawtucket Rhode Island on September 28, 1964. Photograph by Cecil W. Stoughton, Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, Austin, Texas.

The saturated news coverage of Wednesday’s U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Louisiana vs. Callais makes it difficult to say anything useful about its impact. Simply put, this is about Chief Justice John Roberts’ long-time goal—four decades in the making—to gut the Voting Rights Act.

In 2016, I asked, “Who is a progressive? Who is a ‘real’ progressive? Who will continue a progressive legacy?” I answered, “You are not a progressive unless you have read Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America by Iowa’s own Ari Berman.” Little has changed in 10 years. Here is an excerpt from my 2016 review:

In this extensively researched, easy to read text, Berman reminds many of us of the reason we became politically active: as a way of engaging in progress toward racial and social justice centered around the Voting Rights Act (VRA) signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Aug. 6, 1965.

There has been a concerted, well-planned effort to suppress provisions of the VRA. The June 25, 2013 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Section 4, which required certain states to get pre-clearance of changes to voting laws from the Department of Justice, was only the most obvious, recent incident. Berman’s account of the Nixon and Reagan administrations provides insight that de-fanging the law was part of Republican intent from the beginning. My reaction was incredulity at everything that was happening before my eyes without me understanding it.

Ari Berman, in Give Us the Ballot, traces Chief Justice Roberts’ involvement with voting rights issues back to his Reagan-era opposition to strengthening the Voting Rights Act in 1982, arguing that his later Supreme Court opinions reflect a consistent skepticism toward key provisions of the law.

Louisiana vs. Callais goes after Section 2.

Click here to read Amy Howe’s Decision Analysis at SCOTUSblog.

Click here to read Joyce Vance on the decision.

Learn the history by reading Berman’s book. Be a progressive by working for the changes we need in our government to restore the Voting Rights Act and protect everyone’s right to vote.

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May Day Events In Iowa

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Trish Nelson

Iowa event locations: 

Ames, Bettendorf, Dubuque, Blue Grass, Burlington, Cedar Falls, Carroll, Davenport, Decorah, Des Moines, Grinnell, Indianola, Iowa City, Hiawatha, Jackson Junction, Jefferson, Mason City, Ottumwa, Solon, Vinton, Walcott, Waterloo, 

For event times and locations go to Iowa Starting Line or Mobilize.us

Iowa May Day Strong

 

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