Stories

The Iowa Cty Press-Citizen endorsed Tom Harkin for a fifth term Tuesday, reversing a 2002 recommendation for new representation in the U.S. Senate.
The Press-Citizen endorsed Republican Greg Ganske in that race. But this year they had nothing but negatives for Harkin’s opponent, Christopher Reed.
“Six years ago, we thought Iowa Republicans had a candidate who might [...]

With a week to go until Election Day, Democrats continue to hold a nearly 2-1 edge in absentee voting in Iowa and the number of registered voters in the Hawkeye state has topped 2 million.

Despite an under-funded, nearly invisible campaign, Republican U.S. Senate challenger Christopher Reed is polling 41 percent to incumbent Tom Harkin’s 57 in a new Rasmussen poll.

Iowa and Florida both represent strong chances for Democratic pickups in the presidential race, but both states remain competitive, former Florida Sen. Bob Graham said Wednesday in Iowa City.

Who would have figured that, just before the election, GOP incumbent James Seymour’s 2002 arrest for soliciting prostitution would come to light? Democrats can call that one a lost opportunity. But by and large, Iowa’s major parties did a better job of filling spots on the state legislative ballot than parties in other states.

“I’ll put my record up against anyone’s,” first-term Rep. Dave Loebsack said in Tuesday night’s 2nd Congressional District debate in Cedar Rapids, as his Republican opponent, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, attacked a “do-nothing” Congress.

Is it feeling like 1964 out there? Richard Cohen of the Washington Post thinks so: “Powell walked away, and others will follow — the second time that a senator from Arizona has led the GOP into the political wilderness.”

Barack Obama has a huge national lead among young voters, says a a University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll released today, but the matter of whether they will show up on Election Day is still up in the air.

“If they show up in record numbers, they will decidedly tip the scale toward an Obama victory,” said David Redlawsk, the University of Iowa political scientist who directed the poll. “But if they fail to turn out, the final result is likely to be very close.”

“I don’t think people are buying the negative ads, all that stuff about ‘palling around with terrorists’ and stuff,” Durbin told Iowa Independent when asked about the negative tone of the campaign.

Traders on the Iowa Electronic Markets are, after the final debate, giving Barack Obama a commanding lead.
Thursday morning, Obama shares on the Winner Take All market were selling at nearly 86 cents, meaning traders give the Democratic ticket a 86 percent chance of winning. John McCain’s shares are selling for just under 15 cents. Those [...]