The 'rematch'
The questions will matter
This one feels different. Mariannette Miller-Meeks defeated Christina Bohannan by about 20,000 votes (out of about 300,000 cast) in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District in 2022.
Miller-Meeks is a Republican who seeks her third term in office after three previous unsuccessful attempts. Bohannan is a Democrat who is making her second attempt to win the seat after previously serving one term in the state legislature (Miller-Meeks used to be a state senator).
Miller-Meeks could win this race, especially if Donald Trump does well in the state. But the millions of dollars pouring into the campaign commercials - much of the money coming from outside groups — shows that both parties expect this race to be much closer in November than it was two years ago.
The Rematch — Monday from 8 to 9 p.m., the two nominees will meet in Johnston on Iowa PBS for their only debate. I will join moderator Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa news director) and Stephen Gruber-Miller (Des Moines Register) on the desk.
I like the format that Iowa PBS uses: no timers or buzzers (other than the one-hour time limit for the debate). One-minute limits like you see in some other debates offer very little to the viewing pubic. Candidates are well-trained by campaign consultants on filibustering to run out the clock.
The Questions — I admit that I feel pressure being on the panel. It isn’t pressure because this is a live event. I have done a lot of those over the years. The pressure is asking questions that advance the conversation. We can’t just give candidates an hour to share talking points and regurgitate attack lines from their commercials.
We need real answers. Our country has plenty of challenges. We need real solutions, not just sound bites. Voters deserve clarity and depth, not b.s.
The Challenge — There are some obvious topics that merit additional exploration: abortion access, immigration, and economic matters. But what else?
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I appreciate it!
Here is my story on Iowa PBS’ 2nd District debate between Ashley Hinson and Sarah Corkery.
The Female Factor — What do women want in their next president? Dr. Kelly Winfrey, Iowa State University’s Director of Women’s and Gender Studies Program, joined me on “Inside Iowa Politics.” She also wrote this book on women voters.
She talked about how laws on abortion restrictions aren’t just firing up Democratic women, they are also splitting Republican women.
“In the Dirt” — Beth Hoffman is one of the unique columnists in the Iowa Writers Collaborative. She is a longtime agricultural journalist who moved to Iowa with her hubby John. They farm together…their way. We had a fascinating conversation on what they are doing on the farm, how they farm, why they farm, and what else they do besides growing produce and raising cattle and goats. (It’s a busy life!)
Listen or watch our conversation in the latest American Farmland Owner podcast.
Iowa Down Ballot — A new episode is out from my fellow political contributors from the Iowa Writers Collaborative. We talked about Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District debate, what early voting turnout means, and whether it was a good idea for Kamala Harris to agree to an interview on Fox News.
Thank you to those who are able to become paid subscribers of our work here. Your support means a lot to my family! Paid subscribers will get an exclusive invite to our annual holiday party (December 13th in Des Moines). Stay tuned for details on that.
Feeling the need to read as the election approaches? — You can buy my books, “Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump," at Beaverdale Books in Des Moines , Amazon, or you can Venmo me $20 @DavePriceIowa and I’ll send you an autographed copy. Venmo $30 and I will send autographed copies of both books.
Early voting is underway in Iowa. Here is why I don’t think that I will do it.