Caleb McCullough, Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau

Of $3.25M in the third quarter, over $650K went for hats to give away.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds welcomed Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on a visit to Iowa Tuesday, praising the relationship between the state and country.

Early voting in Iowa’s city and school elections began last week, ahead of the election on Nov. 7. Here’s the information you need to participate.

Iowa U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks switched her vote for House speaker Wednesday, joining nearly two dozen Republicans who voted against Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio on his second try at clinching the position.

Democrats note that Jordan has never voted in favor of a Farm Bill.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird endorses Donald Trump, saying he’ll uphold “our way of life.”

The event featured guest speaker Riley Gaines, an anti-transgender activist.

“I expect more relief for taxpayers next session because the state is still taking too much of their money,” Iowa Senate leader says.

But the number of students who used the accounts to attend private school this year, as well as the number of students using the accounts to transfer out of public school to attend private school, had not been made public.

Reynolds has worked to nurture Iowa’s relationship with Israel dating to before her time as governor.

The event, billed as Vektoberfest, was part campaign rally and part festival, complete with a selection of food trucks, face painting and live country and Americana covers from the Mud Dog Band.

Sen. Joni Ernst doubled down on a request for information from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons regarding reports of sexual misconduct at a troubled federal prison in Illinois, near the Iowa border.

A former northwest Iowa city clerk may have made more than $175,000 in personal purchases on a city credit card over two years, according to a report from State Auditor Rob Sand.

Haley promises to slash budgets, be tough on China and enhance border security in her most recent Iowa campaign swing.

The races technically are nonpartisan, but they’ve become increasingly partisan in recent years as disagreements over school curriculum, transgender students and COVID-19 measures have galvanized education politics at the state and local level.