KHOI's Capitol Week

Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with an update on Iowa's early voting numbers, then discussed Donald Trump's rally in Sioux City from several angles, with highlights from remarks by the president, Zach Lahn, Ashley Hinson, Joe Mitchell, and Brenna Bird. During the second half of the show, they covered news from the governor's race (a New York Times scoop, a misleading campaign ad, more legal woes for Derek Wulf), Josh Turek's closing TV ads for the U.S. Senate race, and news from Iowa's first Congressional district (the only debate between Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Christina Bohannan, and a Democratic-funded mailer targeting independent candidate Michael Bridgford).

Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with somber news about the First Gentleman's cancer recurrence and a tragedy in Rob Sand's family. They discussed fundraising, advertising, and debate news from Iowa's four U.S. House races, starting with some GOP super PACs pulling out of IA-01. Other topics covered: the second debates between Iowa's candidates for governor and U.S. Senate, the first ad highlighting legal problems of the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, and highlights from the latest fundraising reports for Iowa's statewide candidates. 

Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with some reminders about how to vote early in Iowa, beginning on October 14. They covered two new Iowa polls, the first debates between candidates for governor and U.S. Senate, the latest reporting on a $540,000 loan to the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, the second debate between the candidates in Iowa's second Congressional districts, ratings changes for three U.S. House races, joint "Iowa Press" appearances by the candidates for secretary of agriculture and attorney general, and the disturbing prosecution of Joey Norris, a prominent Democrat charged with a felony over good-faith efforts to count ballots correctly in November 2024.

Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks spent about half the program on different angles related to last week's special Iowa legislative session. Lawmakers approved economic incentives for a proposed steel mill (after some drama in the Senate) and took no action on an ethics complaint against a House Republican. They also discussed the latest NYT/Siena poll of Iowa's races for U.S. Senate and House. Other topics covered: the latest court filing related to Derek Wulf's farm, Rob Sand's final town halls, a poll commissioned by the independent candidate in Iowa's first Congressional district, the first televised debates in the second and fourth districts, and why there's no scheduled debate in the third district.

Laura Belin and Spencer Dirks began with breaking news: a proposed $15 billion investment in a steel mill in southeast Iowa, political reaction to the idea, and a possible special legislative session to pass big tax incentives. They dug into the District Court ruling on Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and its former pollster Ann Selzer, and the latest on the criminal investigation related to Derek Wulf, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor. Other topics covered: Chuck Grassley's concerns about a Democratic governor, several stories related to the U.S. Senate race, a big endorsement for secretary of agriculture candidate Chris Jones, a poll of the secretary of state race, and TV ads for Michael Bridgford, the independent candidate in Iowa's first Congressional district.