Government & Politics

Friday evening — just days after she entered the race for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat — Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson received the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

Against the background of a dismal federal jobs report, two Iowa business group leaders on Friday said the state’s employers remain optimistic about the economy here, although they also warned against the impact of ongoing uncertainty in federal trade policy.

State and tribal law enforcement officers will be able to cross jurisdictional boundaries while pursuing fleeing suspects under a new legal agreement between the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the Meskwaki Nation.

Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson launched her bid for the U.S. Senate on Friday with a hometown rally in West Des Moines, kicking off a 99-county tour she says will mirror the storied grassroots tradition of Iowa GOP U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley while Republicans — including President Donald Trump — swiftly rally behind her campaign.

At a town hall Thursday, Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand was pressed to define how he would protect transgender Iowans’ rights — drawing the sharpest exchanges of the evening and setting the tone for a wide-ranging discussion on water quality, education, school vouchers, mental health and child care.

Iowa will now have open-seat elections for governor and the U.S. Senate for the first time in nearly six decades, and half of the state’s federal delegation likely will feature new representation after the 2026 elections.

How does Joni Ernst’s decision to not seek reelection impact Iowa’s 2026 elections?

The new Marion aquatics center project would have required passage of a nearly $40 million voter-approved bond referendum. Council members voted Thursday to hold off on putting the referendum on November’s ballot, delaying a vote by at least a year.