The November 2026 election is still 19 months away, but some Northwest Iowa Democrats are debating becoming candidates for seats now held by Republicans.
One of those J.D. Scholten, who is mulling a bid for the U.S. Senate seat, which could pit him with two-term Republican Joni Ernst.
Scholten told Siouxland Public Media there are many considerations as he mulls the Senate bid, including whether he plays for the Sioux City Explorers baseball team this summer or not. After losing a close race for the Iowa 4th congressional district seat to Steve King in 2018, Scholten was elected to the Iowa House in 2022 and 2024.
He said the 2026 election cycle has “similar vibes to 2018,” when a seemingly safe seat can be nabbed by a Democrat, amid concerns by Iowans about actions taken by Republican President Trump and others.
Scholten added that Ernst should not get a third term, due to “her support of the billionaires trying to rig the economy.”
Two other possible candidates include Ryan Melton, for the Iowa 4th congressional district position, and Jess Lopez-Walker, for an Iowa House seat with Sioux City territory. Both Melton and Lopez-Walker during the April 5 Hands Off rally in Sioux City voiced their consideration to run again in 2026 for the same elective office posts they lost five months ago.
The winners of those races were Republican 4th District Congressman Randy Feentra and Iowa House Representative Bob Henderson.
*In other election news, back in December people in North Sioux City voted to switch from a nine-member council government format to a five-person commission. Now the votes are in from the Tuesday election that determined who will be the new mayor and four commissioners.
There were two candidates for each of the five positions. For Mayor, Chris Bogenrief defeated Greg Meyer by more than 60 votes.
Those elected as commissioners were Lynn Hoffman, Julie Burhoop, Jessica Strain and David Wilch. The latter contest was the closest, with Wilch getting 401 votes and Vincent Tucker receiving 399.
North Sioux City residents had been able to carry out early absentee voting at city hall for more than two weeks, up through the final day on April 8.
*In other news, a nonprofit that works with immigrants and refugees to help them resettle in Sioux City and elsewhere in Iowa says it will continue its work despite the loss of federal funding.
Lutheran Services in Iowa says about a third of the 100 employees who assisted immigrants and refugees were impacted. Some were laid off last month at offices in Des Moines, Waterloo and Sioux City. Fundraising is coming in, as a way to make up some of the financial slack.
Nick Wuertz is the director of immigration and refugee community services for LSI.
“It’s well documented that even though we're welcoming people here for humanitarian reasons, they are significant net contributors to our state and local economy. Not only does it not make humanitarian sense, but it also doesn't make any economic sense for us to not continue to invite people here that want to build a new life and contribute to our communities,” Wuertz said.
Private donations of $300,000 will keep some staff members on through the end of April.
After the federal government cut funding in January, it still owed LSI $1.5 million dollars in back payments. Wuertz says $400,000 dollars is still outstanding.
*Additionally, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen will ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture to no longer allow people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to use benefits to purchase soda or energy drinks.
Pillen on Monday framed the decision as a way to encourage a healthy diet, especially for children, and to combat obesity. He said a University of Nebraska study found obesity impacts seven of 10 Nebraskans.
“We take in tons of processed foods … and they've got nothing but carbohydrates and sugars, and we wake up 50 and 100 pounds overweight and we're starving to death because we don't get any nutrients,” Pillen said.
Pillen said Nebraska is the second state to request such a change, after West Virginia.
At the announcement, Pillen stood next to a poster proclaiming “Make Nebraska Healthy Again.” That echoes a campaign by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has encouraged governors to make the change requested by Pillen.
Bills to exempt junk food from SNAP have been introduced in 18 states this year, according to the Food Research & Action Center.
The Iowa Legislature could be moving to a similar restriction concerning SNAP. The last week of March, Iowa House members passed a bill that would restrict SNAP purchases to only “healthy foods and beverages.”
The list in the bill includes grains, dairy, meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables. The bill also says an Iowa agency would also request a waiver from the USDA to override the current list of eligible foods.
*Toilet paper, laundry detergent and vitamins would be exempt from Iowa’s sales tax, under a group of proposals advanced by House subcommittees on Wednesday.
They would be added to the list of items exempt from the sales tax in Iowa which includes things like prescription medications and unprepared food. The tax would still apply to things like prepared foods, over the counter medications and cosmetics.
Republican Representative Christian Hermanson of Mason City says the bills are aimed at driving costs down for Iowa consumers, but he says he’s not sure how far the proposals will advance this session.
In 2022, Iowa passed a law exempting menstrual products and diapers from the sales tax.
Iowa’s current state sales tax sits at 6 percent.
