Campaign Almanac: Another Democrat files to run for Eastern Iowa congressional seat

A Hardin County Democrat has filed paperwork to run for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District seat currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson of Marion.

Former Pine Lake State Park manager Don Primus, of Steamboat Rock, filed paperwork earlier this month with the Federal Election Commission to seek the seat.

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Primus, who unsuccessfully ran for Hardin County supervisor in 2020, said he’s working to gather signatures required on nominating petitions to appear on the ballot in the June 2026 primary election. The 65-year-old said he does not yet have a campaign website or staff, but has been traveling to Democratic events, rallies and protests around the district to talk with voters about why he’s running for the seat.

Three other Democrats also are running for their party’s nomination to challenge Hinson for the northeast Iowa U.S. House seat. They include state Rep. Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque; Clint Twedt-Ball, a longtime Cedar Rapids nonprofit leader who fueled neighborhood flood recovery; and Kathy Dolter, a U.S. Army veteran and former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.

The district includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City.

Speaking with The Gazette, Primus said he’s running to protect and restore federal funding levels for Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and food assistance programs rolled back under the sweeping tax and spending bill passed by Republicans and signed into law by President Donald Trump, improve Iowa’s water quality, and to overturn Trump executive orders and policies he argues are harmful to due process and the rule of law.

Primus also said he’s concerned about the expansion of presidential authority regarding tariffs and is seeking to reassert Congress' role in this area, arguing the Trump administration has been imposing tariffs without sufficient checks and balances, to the detriment of Iowa farmers and the state’s agricultural industry.

Teamsters union endorses Zach Wahls for U.S. Senate

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Zach Wahls announced the endorsement of Teamsters Local 90.

Wahls, a state legislator from Coralville, has made labor a core tenet of his U.S. Senate campaign. If elected, Wahls has said he plans to work to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 and ensure access to Social Security and Medicaid benefits. He also has vowed to support passage of the PRO (Protecting the Right to Organize) Act. The legislation, which looks to expand workers’ rights to unionize and bargain, and would institute other labor protections, passed the U.S. House in 2021, but did not have the votes to pass the Senate.

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Alano De La Rosa, the principal officer of Teamsters Local 90, praised Wahls in a statement for his support of better wages and working conditions, highlighting his commitment to workers throughout his career.

Wahls’ campaign also was recently endorsed by Ironworkers Local 89.

Other Democrats running for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat are Des Moines school board member Jackie Norris, former Chamber of Commerce leader Nathan Sage of Indianola, and Democratic state legislator Josh Turek.

Incumbent Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst has not yet said whether she plans to run for re-election, but she has hired a campaign manager and she recently said an announcement is coming soon.

Iowa’s 2026 primary election is June 2.

Turek raises $500,000 since launching U.S. Senate campaign

Since announcing his campaign for U.S. Senate in early August, Democratic Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek has raised $500,000, his campaign announced Wednesday.

Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist from Council Bluffs, has received contributions from all of Iowa’s 99 counties, with 98 percent of individual donations in the first week coming in at $100 or less, according to his campaign.

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“Iowans across the state are inspired by Josh’s lifetime of overcoming adversity and his commitment to fighting for the kitchen table issues they care about most,” Turek’s campaign manager, Brendan Koch, said in a statement. “The enthusiasm behind Josh’s campaign is a testament to his ability to win tough races and beat Joni Ernst in 2026.”

Other Democratic candidates in the race include state Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville, former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce leader Nathan Sage of Indianola and Des Moines school board chair Jackie Norris.

Democratic state Rep. J.D. Scholten, of Sioux City, announced he was dropping out of the race and endorsing Turek on Monday.

While incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst hasn’t officially announced a re-election campaign, she hired a campaign manager in June and has a campaign war chest of more than $3.4 million as of the end of June.

Lindsay James announces initial fundraising

Democratic congressional candidate Lindsay James, a state lawmaker from Dubuque, raised more than $175,000 in her campaign’s first 48 hours, her campaign announced.

James is running for her party’s nomination to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson in northeast Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District seat.

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The district includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City.

Other Democrats running for the seat include Clint Twedt-Ball, a longtime Cedar Rapids nonprofit leader who fueled neighborhood flood recovery; Kathy Dolter, a U.S. Army veteran and former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids; and Don Primus, a retired state park manager from Steamboat Rock.

“I'm so grateful for the overwhelming grassroots support our campaign has received in its first days,” James said in a statement. “This outpouring of support sends a clear message that Iowans want a new approach — somebody who listens, cares, and gets to work on the issues that matter to them, from lowering the cost of housing and child care to improving our public schools and making health care more affordable.”

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