You Haven’t Heard The Last Of Iowa This Election Cycle

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Facing a heavy burden from trade and the coronavirus, «Iowa’s just in a position to be in maybe more ready than other states to make a change in November, says pollster J. Ann Selzer.





Clay Masters/Iowa Public Radio



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Pat Copley is not excited to vote for the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden. But she is eager for Donald Trump to be a one-term president.





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Kaufmann points to the recent North American free trade agreement, the USMCA, as a victory for Iowa farmers.

Polls here show Trump and Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s approval ratings are falling. That may be why last month Ernst tweeted a video challenging her Democratic opponent, real estate executive Theresa Greenfield, who she accuses of hiding from voters.

«I haven’t heard Theresa Greenfield say one thing that [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer hasn’t told her to say, Ernst said. «I’m challenging Ms. Greenfield to six debates, two each month, starting in August. Let’s let the Iowans hear what we have to say.

Greenfield won her four-way June primary race last month with a record number of ballots cast — mostly by absentee. Iowa’s Republican secretary of state had mailed every registered voter an absentee ballot request form to encourage voting from home during the pandemic.

Campaigning during a pandemic looks a lot different. There are fewer picnics and parades, and the Iowa State Fair was cancelled. A lot of events are held on video conferencing meetings.

But with or without the usual campaigning, there’s a more favorable mood for Democrats in Iowa, says pollster J. Ann Selzer. She’s the person behind the Iowa Poll published in the Des Moines Register.

«There has been a heavy burden that this state has carried that included issues with trade, with tariffs, Selzer said. «And then with the vulnerable industries like meat processing plants during COVID-19. Iowa’s just in a position to be in maybe more ready than other states to make a change.

While Biden came in fourth during the caucuses, his campaign has announced a senior team here and he’ll be back in Iowa later this month — in the form of a virtual event, of course.