The Financial Horizons
No Result
View All Result
  • Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Latest News
  • Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Latest News
No Result
View All Result
The Financial Horizons
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest News

How this onetime battleground state in heartland America turned bright red

by
July 15, 2023
in Latest News
0
How this onetime battleground state in heartland America turned bright red
0
SHARES
6
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Iowa has gone from purple to deep red.

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa on Friday signed into law a controversial bill passed earlier this week by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature that sharply limits abortion.

The bill, which would ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, is the latest example of Iowa Republicans flexing their muscles in a state that over the past dozen years has transformed from a crucial general election battleground to solidly red, with the GOP in control of the governor’s office, both legislative chambers in the statehouse and Iowa’s entire congressional delegation.

Reynolds has signed laws this year that ban or significantly limit gender transition treatments for minors, allow families to use taxpayer money towards private-school tuition and loosen child labor rules in the state, as the GOP works to turn the onetime swing state into a bastion of conservatism.

‘Americans are taking notice as states around the country are looking to Iowa as a beacon for freedom and opportunity,’ the governor wrote in a statement this spring as she touted what she described as an ‘historic’ legislative session.

It wasn’t that long ago that Democrats were competitive in the state, controlling the governor’s office for a dozen straight years and one of the two U.S. Senate seats for three straight decades. But Democrats haven’t won a gubernatorial election since 2006 or a Senate contest since 2008. 

In the race for the White House, former President Barack Obama carried Iowa by nearly 10 points in 2008 and by six points in 2012. But four years later, former President Donald Trump captured the Hawkeye State by nine points in his White House victory. Trump carried Iowa by eight points in 2020 in his re-election defeat.

Last November, the sole remaining Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation went down to defeat.

‘There has been remarkable change in the political makeup of the state,’ veteran Iowa-based Democratic consultant Jeff Link told Fox News.

Link spotlighted that ‘what has changed the most is there was significant shift in the counties along the Mississippi River that were traditionally Democratic strongholds. They were counties that had lots of organized labor and those are the places that have had the biggest change.’

David Kochel, a longtime Republican consultant and veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns in Iowa and nationally, also pointed to ‘the migration of White working-class voters from the old Democratic Party coalition, which included a lot of labor and blue-collar workers.’

‘As the Democratic Party became more progressive, those White working-class voters migrated into the Republican Party,’ added Kochel, a former Iowa GOP executive director.

Kochel spotlighted Howard County in northeastern Iowa, which he noted ‘had the largest swing from Obama and Trump of any county in the country.’

‘We traded some votes. There were some suburban, moderate, voters that might have moved a little bit left, but replacing them was a much larger number of White working-class voters,’ he added.

Democrats hope that the new abortion law will help boost their chances in next year’s legislative and congressional elections in Iowa.

But Link argued that Iowa Democrats need ‘to focus on improving their voter registration number, which is not something the party has ever done before. But that is key because you just can’t persuade enough independents where we are right now to have enough of an impact. So you literally have to register more Democratic voters.’

And he urged that Democrats ‘need to not only travel to all the counties in the state, but we need to listen to voters in those places and not just write them off. I think that’s what’s happened from time to time, and it’s a strategy that’s a disaster.’

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire. 
This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Previous Post

DeSantis to file for South Carolina presidential primary next week

Next Post

Cruz shoots down Schumer effort to regulate AI: ‘More harm than good’

Next Post
Cruz shoots down Schumer effort to regulate AI: ‘More harm than good’

Cruz shoots down Schumer effort to regulate AI: ‘More harm than good’

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent News

    Trump targets massive investments in first Middle East trip

    Trump targets massive investments in first Middle East trip

    May 13, 2025
    Monica Crowley clears Senate confirmation for key State Department ambassadorship

    Monica Crowley clears Senate confirmation for key State Department ambassadorship

    May 13, 2025
    Trump official targeted in Biden-era ‘disinformation’ dossier still under wraps days after Rubio revelation

    Trump official targeted in Biden-era ‘disinformation’ dossier still under wraps days after Rubio revelation

    May 12, 2025
    No millionaire tax hike in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

    No millionaire tax hike in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

    May 12, 2025
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: Thefinancialhorizons.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thefinancialhorizons.com | All Rights Reserved

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Investing
    • Stock
    • Economy
    • Editor’s Pick
    • Latest News

    Disclaimer: Thefinancialhorizons.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thefinancialhorizons.com | All Rights Reserved