Is this the week?
...or next week?
Will this be the week that we finally find out Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ choice for a new lieutenant governor? She has been deliberate with this process. Very deliberate.
September 3rd — Adam Gregg announced on September 3rd that he was resigning to become the new leader of the Iowa Bankers Association. He will make far more money, not miss so many of his kids’ activities, and not filling in for the governor at county party events in all corners of the state.
After the Election — The governor told us in October that she would not announce a pick until after the election. Why wait? Just in case Zach Nunn lost his re-election for the U.S. house? Was she waiting for the outcome from legislative races?
Waiting until after the election already guaranteed that at least two months would pass after Gregg’s announcement before Iowans learned of his replacement.
Another month has since passed.
Is there some other reason why this announcement hasn’t happened yet?
Going to Trump — The governor traveled to Mar-a-Lago on election night for Donald Trump’s victory party instead of celebrating in her own state with Republicans she helped leading up to the election. Why?
Reynolds’ decision to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis before the Iowa Caucuses fractured her relationship with Trump. Perhaps Brad Zaun, the longtime state legislator who lost his re-election campaign in November, can help Reynolds get back in Trump’s good graces.
Zaun has been an ally of Trump since Trump’s first presidential campaign in the 2016 cycle.
Primary Concern — Is Reynolds worried about a primary in 2026 if she decides to run again? There have already been conversations about a potential challenger.
Is she concerned that Trump would back someone else instead of her? Is that why she went to Florida on election night?
Is that why she is taking additional time to pick a potential running mate? Does she need a running mate who is guaranteed MAGA-approved by the base? That could be important right now when the MAGA voice is the loudest around in the party.
Another Primary Concern — Just ask Senator Joni Ernst. She drew MAGA’s ire for not immediately pledging her support for cable TV host Pete Hegseth as Trump’s choice for U.S. Secretary of Defense. Hegseth is also a veteran.
Hegseth faces accusations for sexually assaulting a woman, excessing drinking, and financial mismanagement while leading a veterans’ organization, Concerned Veterans of America. Plus, he has said in the past that women should not be in military combat.
Ernst is a sexual assault survivor. She has led efforts to eliminate sexual assault and harassment in the military. She is the senate’s first female combat veteran. So, she may have wanted some time to talk to Hegseth about his past before pledging to confirm him…and before Hegseth sits down for senate confirmation hearings.
Some Trump supporters apparently don’t think Ernst should be allowed to have time to vet Hegseth. They see her as showing disloyalty to Trump. That brought on the renewed talk about finding another Republican to run against her when her seat comes up before voters in the 2026 election.
Back to the Announcement — The governor has the rest of this week and next week to make her announcement. I assume that would be the time frame.
I doubt that she would make an announcement of this magnitude during the week of Christmas or the week after that. Those are two weeks where we don’t usually expect to see much of the governor in public.
Any guesses on her pick? A state legislator? A state department head? Someone who doesn’t currently hold public office?
Gregg’s Position — This must be interesting political theater for Adam Gregg. He endured gossip, conspiracy theories, and rumors about why he left the position in September. Was he sick? Was there a scandal about to become public?
Did he have a Hugh Grant moment? (Here’s a link in case you don’t remember this iconic TV moment: “What the hell were you thinking?”)
Three months after he turned in his resignation, this all probably makes Gregg chuckle as he sits at his son’s and daughter’s athletic events in the evenings…the events he frequently missed over the past seven years as the state’s lieutenant governor.
I wonder if he knows when the announcement about his replacement will arrive?
Too Soon — Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley told us that it is too early to talk about his fellow Iowan, Joni Ernst, to replace Pete Hegseth as the top choice for U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Here’s my story with what Grassley said.
New Job? — Kari Lake went from eastern Iowa youngster to Iowa Hawkeye to Phoenix TV anchor. She tried to become governor. It didn’t work. She tried to become U.S. senator. That didn’t happen either.
How about U.S. ambassador? Or what about senator in the Hawkeye State?
More Tax Cuts — Do you think your property taxes are too high? Iowa Republican legislators think that your local leaders are charging you too much and are looking at additional ways for the state to limit local leaders’ abilities to tax residents.
But can Republicans in the senate agree with Republicans in the house in 2025 on what to do?
The latest “Inside Iowa Politics” looks at what could be ahead.
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Why is she pointing fingers at the City's on property tax? The State sets the tax levee, it use to be 62% of the assessed value and in the manner of two years it went to 92%. The increase is mandated by the State, the City's have no choice! Then on top of that City's have to deal with roll back, where each years the City's were mandated a decrease in property taxes 2 to 4% while every 4 years City's could adjust up the tax rate by 10 -12%.. I've heard it a hundred times from Legislators we dropped your taxes. The savings would buy you a Pizza once a year. It is called Roll Back and Farm Bureau wanted the law implemented in 1979 to save the family farm. We all know how that worked out. It is difficult to run an effective City while keeping taxes low, for the citizens sake and to remain competitive in Economic Development and most do a good job of it. I feel City Councils do as better job of it than the State Legislators. I'm Grassley's Grandson maybe in the running, but if Chuck retires mid term and the Governor makes an appointment would selecting him be in her best interest or would she select her and Grassley's Grandson become the Governor? Either way so much for serving self over the citizens.
I suppose the experts may think I'm way off base, but I think at least once consideration the governor has in mind is that she wants to make sure whoever she picks as lieutenant governor would agree to appoint to the Senate in the event of a vacancy -- like if Sen. Ernst gets a cabinet appointment or Sen. Grassley retired in mid-term -- much the same way as she acceded to the governorship when Gov. Branstad was appointed ambassador to China in President Trump's first administration. If a Senate vacancy occurs, Gov. Reynolds would resign, the lieutenant governor would accede to the governorship and appoint her to the Senate. It's good for her and good for the party because it gives both the power of incumbency when Reynolds stands for election in her own rite, helping assure Republican control of that seat. The state GOP does a better job than the Dems right now of thinking a step or two ahead. If Reynolds does go to the Senate that also would give House Speaker Pat Grassley, the senator's grandson, a pretty decent shot at the governorship down the road. Maybe Reynolds would even appoint Speaker Grassley lieutenant governor. Currently Senate President Amy Sinclair, Iowa Senate president, is acting lieutenant governor while the position is vacant, followed by Speaker Grassley