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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
Campaigns & Elections Aug. 29, 2022 4:04 pm161d ago
A slate of Republican speakers said Hinson, the mother of two, would continue to serve as a strong conservative voice for parents against pandemic-related school closures and transgender policies if re-elected to Congress.
Government & Politics Aug. 29, 2022 2:18 pm161d ago
The road to recapturing U.S. House and Senate majorities and “restoring common sense” in Washington, D.C., to fight inflation, combat rising crime and secure the U.S.-Mexico border runs through Iowa, according to a slate of Republican speakers.
Government & Politics Aug. 29, 2022 9:00 am161d ago
Iowa DHS has received responses from five insurers to run the state's privatized Iowa Medicaid program. Awards are expected to be announced Aug. 31.
Government & Politics Aug. 28, 2022 8:16 am162d ago
Iowa Republican U.S. Ashley Hinson said a viral White House tweet highlighting Republican lawmakers for criticizing student loan forgiveness after having much larger amounts of PPP loans forgiven makes a disingenuous comparison.
Government & Politics Aug. 25, 2022 1:05 pm165d ago
Unemployment insurance rates for Iowa employers will drop to a 24-year low, beginning in 2023, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced this week.
Health Care and Medicine Aug. 25, 2022 6:00 am166d ago
While Iowans are generally highly vaccinated against polio, Linn County public health officials say recent cases in New York, Israel and the UK serve as a reminder and a warning not to forsake vaccines.
Government & Politics Aug. 22, 2022 6:00 am168d ago
The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board may soon clarify whether state laws on attribution statements apply to some kinds of political text messages.
Government & Politics Aug. 21, 2022 6:30 am170d ago
Iowa voters will be asked to enshrine the individual right to keep and bear arms in the Iowa Constitution, subject to “strict scrutiny” this November. Here’s what that will mean.
Government & Politics Aug. 18, 2022 7:00 pm172d ago
Cedar Rapids panelists discuss impact of Inflation Reduction Act
Government & Politics Aug. 16, 2022 5:29 pm174d ago
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson called on the DOJ to release more information about the FBI's search of former President Donald Trump's Florida estate.
Government & Politics Aug. 14, 2022 6:00 am177d ago
Insulin has become the poster-child drug when it comes to the debate over controlling skyrocketing drug prices and life-or-death stakes.
Government & Politics Aug. 10, 2022 5:37 pm180d ago
Iowa Republicans demanded answers from DOJ officials following the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s home for documents as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House.
Government & Politics Aug. 7, 2022 8:30 pm182d ago
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken took Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley to task over efforts to lower prescription drug prices for Iowans.
News Aug. 10, 2022 5:05 pm180d ago
Nearly two years removed from the Aug. 10, 2020, derecho, most Iowa farmers are back on their feet, but some are still recovering and rebuilding their operations, with some toppled and damaged farm buildings still in disarray .
Government & Politics Aug. 3, 2022 3:40 pm187d ago
The month of August has taken on a new meaning for Kristi Casteel of Marion, one marked now not only by sorrow but “poetic justice.”