116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Tom Barton
I am The Gazette’s deputy Des Moines bureau chief covering Iowa politics, including the Iowa Legislature and campaigns. I was born and raised in Davenport and have previously worked for papers covering local and state government and politics in Iowa and South Carolina, including Dubuque and the Quad-Cities. I’m an Iowa State graduate and a die-hard Cyclone fan. When not reporting, you can likely find me on the golf course, burning something in the kitchen and nerding out about Star Wars with Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy.
Latest Articles by Tom Barton
Federal Government Sep. 30, 2025 7:16 am74d ago
Linn-Mar Community School District says it will improve communication with parents after student-led announcements prompted a federal investigation request from U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson. LGBTQ advocacy groups defended the students’ right to free speech, citing state and federal protections for student journalism and warning that political attacks harm LGBTQ youth.
Federal Government Sep. 29, 2025 1:27 pm75d ago
Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson is urging a federal investigation into Linn-Mar High School after student announcements marked “Bisexual Plus Awareness Week.” The district says it is reviewing the segment on student-run television programming.
Federal Government Sep. 29, 2025 1:29 pm75d ago
Iowa families warn they could lose coverage or face massive premium hikes if Congress fails to extend health insurance subsidies. Democrats say Republicans are playing politics with health care as the shutdown fight escalates — while GOP leaders accuse Democrats of holding the government hostage.
Federal Government Sep. 25, 2025 11:31 am79d ago
Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson slammed Democrats for treating Iowans’ health care as a “political game” rather than accepting a clean stopgap funding measure as Congress barrels toward a Sept. 30 shutdown deadline.
Campaigns & Elections Sep. 23, 2025 3:25 pm81d ago
The GOP field grows in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. State Rep. Shannon Lundgren announced her bid in the race for Ashley Hinson’s open U.S. House seat in 2026. The Peosta Republican and small-business owner pledged to fight alongside President Donald Trump.
Campaigns & Elections Sep. 23, 2025 3:33 pm81d ago
Actor Kate Mulgrew, a Dubuque native, says Lindsay James has the “fire in the belly” to flip Iowa’s 2nd District. The two toured Feed Iowa First in Marion on Monday to talk farming, hunger and the Farm Bill.
Agriculture Sep. 22, 2025 7:48 am82d ago
Senate Republicans from farm states and soybean growers are sounding the alarm over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which they say are deepening economic pain in rural America.
Energy Sep. 22, 2025 7:24 am82d ago
Iowa’s only nuclear plant could return — and with it, hundreds of high-wage jobs, a multi-year construction surge and new housing demand. Palo and Center Point businesses, union leaders and city officials say the economic ripple would be significant.
Campaigns & Elections Sep. 23, 2025 3:33 pm81d ago
Republican former Iowa U.S. Rep. Rod Blum is seeking a return to Congress, announcing Thursday he will run for the open seat in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District and pledging $250,000 of his own money to jumpstart his campaign.
State Government Sep. 18, 2025 5:40 pm86d ago
Iowa Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Rob Sand blasted Gov. Kim Reynolds’ efficiency task force as partisan, vowed to veto changes to Iowa’s public pension system, and pushed for more oversight of private school vouchers at a Cedar Rapids town hall.
Government & Politics Sep. 24, 2025 12:36 pm80d ago
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said the assassination of Charlie Kirk highlights what she called a pattern of left-wing violence against conservatives. “I don’t think it’s an American problem. I think it’s a left-wing problem,” she told reporters.
Campaigns & Elections Sep. 15, 2025 12:53 pm89d ago
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson officially kicked off her U.S. Senate campaign in Cedar Rapids, pledging to be Trump’s “top ally” and targeting Democrats as “radical.”
Campaigns & Elections Sep. 12, 2025 3:49 pm92d ago
At a Cedar Rapids stop, Zach Wahls pitched his U.S. Senate run as a fight to “fix the broken economy by cleaning up corruption.” From child care costs to rent hikes, drug prices and gun safety, he linked pocketbook struggles to special-interest influence — and pledged to take no corporate PAC money.
Local Government Sep. 12, 2025 4:21 pm92d ago
The chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Jon Green, is defying an order from Gov. Kim Reynolds that flags on public buildings be flown at half-staff through Sunday in honor of Charlie Kirk.
K-12 Education Sep. 12, 2025 4:32 pm92d ago
Iowa Republican leaders and school officials are condemning reports that a teacher celebrated the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, calling the alleged remarks “reprehensible” and demanding swift accountability.

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