Week in Iowa, Dec. 17, 2023: Recap of news from across the state

Reynolds targets Trump over TV ad: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Donald Trump is "misleading Iowans" with a new ad that showcases her past praise for the former president. The ad, released this month, features a series of clips of the governor detailing her support for Trump at past rallies.

Reynolds has endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, a rare act that has spurned Trump, who leads the primary field with more than 50 percent of support nationally. Reynolds said during a rally in Scott County this past week that the U.S. needs a leader "that's not distracted," which is why she supported DeSantis.

Vivek Ramaswamy visits 99 counties: Vivek Ramaswamy is the latest Republican presidential candidate to visit all 99 Iowa counties, his campaign said this past week. He held a rally in Franklin County that marked the 99th county the Ohio biotech entrepreneur has visited. Ramaswamy, who has been campaigning at a fast pace in recent weeks, says he will have visited each county twice by January.

Trump repeats controversial immigration line: Former President Donald Trump said in an Iowa rally Tuesday that immigrants who enter the country illegally are "destroying the blood of our country," repeating the line that has drawn comparisons to sentiments written by Adolf Hitler. Trump denied the connection Tuesday, saying at the rally in Waterloo, "I’ve never read ‘Mein Kampf.’"

Farmers of color form connections: The first-ever Iowa Farmers of Color Conference was held last weekend, bringing together the small community of Iowa's farmers of color to network and find resources. Black farmers at the conference said they often did not see other farmers like them in their community, so gathering for the conference was a unique experience.

Todd Western III, who organized the conference, farms his family's Iowa land that they have owned for more than 150 years. Western said he was inspired to organize the conference after going to the Harvest Ball, a gathering of Black farmers in North Carolina. Conference attendees also learned from U.S. Department of Agriculture officials about resources available to support their farming operations.

Haley ads target Biden, DeSantis: Presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and her allies unveiled ads this past week targeting both her Republican primary opponent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democratic President Joe Biden. One ad criticizes Biden's age and calls for mental competency tests for aging politicians. Another set of ads calls DeSantis' campaign a "dumpster fire."

Iowa delegation warns over border closure: Iowa's congressional delegation penned a joint letter to Biden administration officials protesting the closure of rail crossings at the southern border. The administration closed the crossings to address a surge in border crossings by migrants. Iowa's delegation said the closure will have drastic effects on farmers who rely on the rails to transport their products out of the country.

They said ...

“It’s always nice to see someone that looks like you that’s doing farming. There’s not too many people of color farming in Iowa, so it’s kind of nice seeing people that look like you doing the same thing that you’re doing.” -- Ryan Madison, owner of Mad Acre Farms in Gladbrook, at Iowa Farmers of Color Conference

"I supported President Trump in 2016. I voted for him. I supported him in 2020. I agreed with his policies. But it's a different day, it's a different time. And we need a leader that doesn't have — that's not distracted. We need somebody that's focused, somebody that's disciplined, somebody that has a record of getting things done." -- Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Trump ad that highlights her past praise.

Odds and ends

University graduation: Iowa's public universities graduated more than 4,000 students last weekend at the end of the fall semester, though each university's graduation numbers were down slightly from last year. The University of Iowa saw 1,692 students graduate, 1,809 graduated at Iowa State University, and 642 graduated from the University of Northern Iowa.

Feenstra reelection: Iowa U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, a Republican who represents the state's northwest 4th Congressional District, will seek reelection to his seat in 2024. Feenstra was first elected in 2020 after ousting former Republican Rep. Steve King in a primary.

Water cooler

Des Moines crash: A driver charged with killing a 66-year-old woman in a November crash had methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system, police said last week. Shawn Michael Bowersock, 46, sped away after a police officer attempted to pull him over for fraudulent license plates, crashing into another car and killing a woman.

AG defends Trump: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird criticized the decision from the Colorado Supreme Court to keep Donald Trump off the ballot over the Jan. 6 insurrection, saying it would prevent voters from supporting the candidate of their choice. Trump's campaign will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.