Poweshiek county voters lend their support to Trump, Ernst in crucial federal elections

By Seth Taylor [email protected]

Poweshiek County voters threw their support behind President Donald Trump in Tuesday’s election, with 56% of voters supporting him over former Vice President Joe Biden, according to unofficial results.

Trump currently leads in with 99% of precincts reporting. Recent polls have shown Trump with an edge in the state, but Biden had been seen as a competitor.

Iowa is not a must-win state for either of the two men, but Iowa’s six electoral college votes would still help them obtain the requisite 270 votes they need to win. With that in mind, and with their eyes on Iowa’s competitive U.S. Senate race, both Trump and Biden visited Iowa last week to energize supporters before election day.

On Friday, Biden made his first appearance in Iowa since the caucuses, campaigning in Des Moines. He highlighted Iowa’s surging COVID-19 numbers as evidence of Trump’s mismanagement of the pandemic. And, as he has done throughout the campaign, he cast the election as a “battle for the soul of our nation.”

That characterization rang true for some Grinnell voters. 27- year old Jacob Ferguson, a Grinnell College employee, said he voted for Joe Biden. “It’s just about character, … who we are as a state and as a country,” he said.

Trump, on the other hand, argued Biden would turn America into a “socialist nation” at a rally in Dubuque on Sunday, while also claiming without evidence that a coronavirus vaccine would be available within weeks.

On Monday, Poweshiek County Republicans held a “Trump Parade” to demonstrate their support for the president. Poweshiek County Republicans Co-Chair Tom Cooper said there was “no question” that Trump would win the election. “Trump has got this thing in the bag,” he said.

Trump won Iowa handily in 2016 – the first Republican to do so since 2004. And Poweshiek County voters supported Trump over Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton then as well, 50% to 43%. In Grinnell, however, Trump won only 32% of the vote to Clinton’s 61%.

Nationally, the race remains too close to call, and it may be days before Americans know the results. Trump claimed a major victory in Florida early in the night, but he still hasn’t reached the 270-vote threshold, and Biden remains in the hunt. While the presidential election was top of mind for many Poweshiek County voters, Iowa’s U.S. Senate race was considered crucial in determining who will control the Senate come January. Democrats need to pick up four seats to obtain the majority, and Democrat Theresa Greenfield, a real estate executive who has not held elected office before, has given incumbent Republican a tough fight.

At the end of the night, however, Ernst looks like she’s pulled ahead, and multiple outlets have called the election in her favor, with a 6.6 point lead over Greenfield, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State.

In Poweshiek County, Ernst garnered 53% of the vote to Greenfield’s 44%. Those numbers are similar to Ernst’s margin of victory during her first election in 2014, when she narrowly beat out Democrat to win Poweshiek County 49% to 46%.

Also on the ballot was the race for Iowa’s First District U.S. House seat between Democrat and Republican Ashley Hinson. Finkenauer, fighting to return to Washington after her first term, was defeated on Tuesday night in a surprise victory by Hinson, 51.3% to 48.7%, according to unofficial results.

In 2018, Finkenauer lost Poweshiek County by less than 100 votes. This time, she lost by almost 1,000.

Nadia Langley contributed reporting.

Maxwell will keep his Senate seat, defeating challengers Smith and Hammouda

By Nina Baker [email protected]

Republican incumbent Dave Maxwell beat out Democrat Sarah Smith and Independent Kamal Hammouda for the Iowa House of Representatives Seat 76.

With all precincts reporting, Maxwell captured 58% of the vote, with Smith trailing with 39% and Hammouda far behind with just 3%.

Maxwell’s win is a continuation of Republican control over the district. Representing District 76 since 2012, Maxwell has consistently beat out Democratic challengers; in 2018, Maxwell beat opponent Ann Egley by 16.9 points.

Poweshiek County, home of Grinnell and the majority of District 76 voters, was a tighter race than the District overall. Maxwell led with 53.6 percent, with Smith closer behind with 42 percent and Hammouda with 4.4 percent.

Maxwell, 77, works as a farmer and owns Maxwell Tiling. During the election, he urged voters to vote for a candidate with legislative experience – him – while Iowa dealt with the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recognizing the difficulty of mounting a successful Independent challenge against Maxwell and Smith, Hammouda, 68, posted on his Facebook Page “Kamal for Iowa 2020” that if he doesn’t win, he thanks his supporters and hopes to “continue the march for a better community.”

Smith, 44, originally said her one-on-one connection with voters could lead to her success against Maxwell, despite the Republican history of District 76.

Neither Smith, Hammouda, nor Maxwell responded to requests for comment from The S&B regarding the results.

As of 11:00 p.m., Poweshiek County vote totals were unofficial, pending the election canvass by county auditor Missy Eilander.

Dawn Driscoll takes home the win in 38th District Senate race

By Nick Parker [email protected]

Dawn Driscoll (R), 43, has won the race to replace Tim Kapucian (R) in the Iowa Senate’s District 38 seat.

With 64% of the district vote (21,194 votes total, 5,340 from Poweshiek County) to Democrat Ivy Schuster’s 36%, she was carried to victory by her coalition of mostly rural voters.

Driscoll, who lives in Williamsburg in Iowa County is a lifelong farmer and agricultural lobbyist. She defeated Schuster, 33, who works in the Office of Information and Technology Services at Grinnell College.

Driscoll raised $237,408 to her opponent’s $111,810, giving her the edge in a district that has historically leaned Republican. Prompted to run by outgoing senator Kapucian, Driscoll ran a low-key campaign that focused primarily on rural and agricultural issues.

She has consistently referenced water quality as one of the primary issues facing SD-38, which comprises Benton, Iowa and Poweshiek counties. As a farmer herself, Driscoll supports environmental regulations that favor agriculture and protect rural farmers.

Like Schuster, Driscoll moved much of her campaign to the internet and phone banking after the pandemic hit. While she supports voluntary measures to fight COVID-19, Driscoll does not support state or local requirements for citizens to wear masks. She is largely supportive of the state government’s response to the pandemic and has repeatedly stressed the need to prioritize economic recovery.

As a mother of three, Driscoll has stressed her support for public education. She has also sought to draw attention to her support for local law enforcement.

Schuster, a Poweshiek County native, cruised to victory in the Democratic primary. Hoping to put SD-38 into Democratic hands for the first time since 2012, she raised significantly more money than any Democratic candidate in previous years. She ran a progressive campaign, making social issues such as gender equality and civil rights a large part of her platform.

Although only winning the Republican primary by 45 percent of the vote, Driscoll made a strong showing at the polls on the day of the general election. While this victory represents Driscoll’s first foray into electoral politics, she is no stranger to Des Moines or the Iowa state legislature, having spent a number of years as an agricultural lobbyist, and is currently the acting president of the Iowa County Farm Bureau. Live Results

Last updated Nov. 3 at 11:26 pm CST

Iowa State House District 76

Results are being reported for the 76th House district, which includes all of Poweshiek County and parts of Iowa County. Republican incumbent Dave Maxwell is running against Democrat Sarah Smith and Independent Kamal Hammouda.

Iowa State Senate District 38

Results are being reported for the 38th Senate district, which includes Poweshiek, Iowa and Benton Counties.The race is between Democrat Ivy Schuster and Republican Dawn Driscoll. United States Congress First District

Results seen here are only for Poweshiek County. Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer is being challenged by Republican Ashley Hinson in the district, which includes much of northeastern Iowa.

United States Senate

Results seen here are only for Poweshiek County. Republican incumbent Joni Ernst is being challenged by Democrat Theresa Greenfield, Libertarian Rick Stewart, and Independent Suzanne Herzog.

President

Results seen here are only for Poweshiek County. The candidates are Republican incumbent Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Libertarian Jo Jorgensen, and six other challengers. 38th District Senate seat: Two newcomers face off over the vacancy

By Nick Parker [email protected]

In the race for Republican Tim Kapucian’s soon-to-be vacated seat in Iowa Senate District 38, Democrat Ivy Schuster and Republican Dawn Driscoll are vying to see who will become Poweshiek County’s new state senator.

Schuster, 33, who attended Montezuma High School and now works in Grinnell College’s Office of Information and Technology Services, has focused her campaign around rural revitalization, as well as progressive social and environmental policies.

She has made gender equality one of the central themes of her candidacy, often commenting on the lack of female representation in the Iowa state legislature. Clean water, renewable energy and environmental stewardship are major parts of her platform. She has also advocated for affordable childcare and an expanded public option for Medicaid.

Schuster has been critical of the state’s response to COVID-19. In a recent interview, she told The S&B that a mask mandate would have initially helped to slow the pandemic, and advised more caution when reopening schools.

Driscoll, 43, a farmer who currently lives in Williamsburg, has also put rural issues at the heart of her campaign. A former lobbyist for the Iowa Farm Bureau, Driscoll was encouraged to run by Kapucian, the outgoing seatholder.

Like Schuster, Driscoll has cited water quality as an essential issue facing residents in Benton, Poweshiek and Iowa County. She and Schuster have also both stated that, if elected, mental health reform would be one of their top priorities.

Driscoll has made comments in support of the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has vocally opposed regulations forcing or requiring residents to wear masks. She has said that she is “proud” of how Iowans have responded to the COVID-19 crisis. Driscoll’s campaign has also stressed her support for law enforcement.

Despite the endorsement from Kapucian, Driscoll faced a tough challenge in the Republican primary, winning with just 45 percent of the vote. Schuster cruised to victory in the Democratic primary, garnering over 80 percent of her party’s support. Since 2012, SD-38 has been safely in Republicans hands. Tom Rielly, who was first elected in 2004, was the last Democrat to hold the position. Kapucian later won the open election to replace him, after Rielly declined to seek re-election after eight years in office.

On the eve of the general election, a Trump car parade in Grinnell

By Ray Goedeker [email protected]

“Trump has got this thing in the bag,” said Tom Cooper, the Co-Chair of the Poweshiek County Republicans, as he watched a parade in support of Donald Trump begin to form in downtown Grinnell on Monday evening.

Decked out with everything from American flags to depictions of Trump dressed as John Rambo, a total of 82 cars made their way through the city, starting on 4th Avenue at the old Candyland station, now the Republican county office. The new office touts the signage of Dave Maxwell, the county Republican up for his 5th straight term as district 76’s representative.

As the cars began to roll out, a mixture of Lee Greenwood’s God Bless The U.S.A and the collective “4 more years” chant rang out from those standing along the street in support of Donald Trump’s reelection.

“I feel better about Trump’s chances right now than I ever have” said Debi Olson, one of the participants in the parade; “there is more enthusiasm right now with [Trump’s] rallies than I have ever seen,” she continued.

President Donald Trump’s campaign has held 23 rallies in the past 7 days in preparation for the general election on November 3rd. The president’s October 31st rally in Butler Pennsylvania produced a crowd of 57,000 people.

“Trump’s polls changing for the better also help,” said Olson. Current Iowa polls have shown Trump separating from his opponent, now leading Biden 48% to 41% per a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll.

“I think I was more sure of his chances in 2016, but I just keep saying, he is going to win,” said hopeful Trump supporter Rachel Porath.

“There is no question in my mind that [Trump] will get reelected, hell, I think Republicans will flip the House of Representatives as well,” said Cooper.

The parade passed by the Eagles Club and the now-defunct soda fountain and diner Candyland Station as it progressed through downtown Grinnell. Photos by Andrew Tucker.

76th District House seat: it’s a three-way race to the finish

By Nina Baker [email protected]

Democrat Sarah Smith and Independent Kamal Hammouda are challenging Republican incumbent Dave Maxwell to represent District 76 in the Iowa House of Representatives.

Hammouda, 68, owner of the Grinnell restaurant Relish, announced his challenge to Maxwell in January of 2020. Hammouda said that the Muslim and immigrant voices of Iowa go unheard by both major parties, which inspired him to run as an independent. If elected, Hammouda would be the only Muslim immigrant in the Iowa Legislature.

Though Hammouda recognizes the difficulty of winning an election as an independent in a three-person race, he doesn’t think that should prevent him from mounting a strong campaign against Maxwell, 77. Hammouda is running on a platform that centers environmental protection, expanding access to healthcare and increasing the quality of public schools.

Smith, 44, who works as the Director of Outreach Programs and Events at Grinnell College and serves on the board of the Grinnell-Newburg School Foundation, announced her candidacy in February of 2020. She’s running on a platform of fully funding public education in Iowa, expanding internet access for rural Iowans and ensuring “accessible and affordable” healthcare.

Smith also supports incentives for clean-energy companies to come to Iowa, and training for Iowans to obtain renewable energy jobs. If elected, she would support increased funding for research and water monitoring to improve Iowa’s water quality.

Maxwell, who works as a farmer and owns Maxwell Tiling, was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2012. In a statement to the Grinnell League of Women Voters (LWV), which hosted a forum for local candidates that Maxwell did not attend, he described himself as “a common sense fiscal conservative who believes in less government and more personal responsibility.” Maxwell’s re-election platform is based around what he says is the need for experienced lawmakers during the COVID-19 pandemic. By the numbers: the 2020 election in Poweshiek County

By Ben Mikek [email protected]

Last updated Nov. 3

As communities across the Untied States grapple with the administration of an uncertain election amid a global pandemic, The S&B broke down the data from Poweshiek County.

States across the country have seen an unprecedented uptick in the number of absentee ballots cast by mail in 2020. In Iowa, every registered voter was sent an application for an absentee ballot to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmissions at the polls on election day and during early voting. The following chart shows the number of absentee ballots received by Poweshiek County officials over time, according to data from the Iowa Secretary of State. By comparison, the total number of votes cast in the 2016 election was 9,916, 4,708 of which were absentee. In Iowa, only absentee ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by the county auditor no later than noon on Nov. 9 can be counted.

Total ballots received: 6,369 Absentee ballots outstanding: 279

Absentee Ballots Received in Poweshiek County

Though voters registered with one party do not always vote for the candidate of that party, Democrats have dominated absentee voting in Poweshiek County and across the nation. The charts below show the percentage of received absentee ballots cast by voters of each party registration. Poweshiek County and Iowa data are provided by the Iowa Secretary of State, national data were compiled by Michael McDonald of the University of Florida at the U.S. Elections Project.

Absentee Ballots Received by Party Registration

Political parties often point to the number of registered voters as an indicator of success as well. The following chart, based on Iowa Secretary of State data, shows the number of voters registered with each party from the beginning of 2019.

Active Registered Voters by Party

Turnout is predicted to be high, even record-breaking, across the United States as voters choose between two opposing presidential candidates, decide control of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, and elect local representatives. Since 2000 in Poweshiek County, the number of registered voters has marginally increased while turnout has remained consistent, following the national trend of higher turnout in the years of presidential elections and lower turnout for midterm elections. The data in the following chart are from the Iowa Secretary of State.

Poweshiek County Voter Turnout

The November election through the eyes of Powshiek County’s chief election official

With five days to go until a historic election held amidst a global pandemic, The S&B’s Ben Mikek spoke with Poweshiek County Auditor Missy Eilander about her plans to keep votes and voters safe on and before Nov. 3. As of Oct. 27, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office, 5,096 absentee ballots had been cast in Poweshiek County with another 804 still to be returned.

The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity.

The S&B: It’s a week until the election; how are you feeling?

Missy Eilander: Well, a little stressed. It’s been very busy. The early voting in the office has been extremely busy. We had over 100 people vote in person today [Oct. 27].

What precautions have you been taking so far, both in early voting and then in preparation for Nov. 3, to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

Well, all of my staff wears their masks. We have plexiglass shields at our counter, each voter gets a sanitized pen to use and then they either take it with them or they drop it in a box when they drop off their voted ballot. We sanitize the counters and the voting booths in between each voter, we have all our voting booths six feet apart in our hallway and we try to keep people distanced while waiting in the hallway, and also at our counter, so that we don’t have them crammed up at the counter. We’ve got hand sanitizer available everywhere, and [we’re] just doing the best we can with what we have to work with. As for Election Day, again, we’ll have all of the items [already mentioned].

As for the workers: they’ll have gloves, [they’ll] have masks to wear, they have face shields if they can’t wear a mask, sanitizer, and again, they’ll be cleaning in between each voter at the voting booth. That’s what we’re doing.

For a voter who’s scared of coming to a polling place because of the risk of COVID-19 – maybe they’re in a high-risk category – what would you say to a voter like that?

Well, if they haven’t voted yet, there’s always the option of curbside voting, where they could pull up their car and they wouldn’t have to leave their vehicle. Two election officials, one from each party, would go out, bring the ballot and that out to them to vote in their car, so they wouldn’t be in the building with a bunch of other people. They could stay in their car, you know, hand it to them through their window, they vote it, and then when they’re done, they give it back, and the two election officials will take it in and run it through the scanner.

And they can also do that early voting-wise here at the courthouse, and again if they don’t feel comfortable coming into the courthouse, they can just call.

Have you heard any concerns from poll workers about their safety, and have any poll workers who have worked with you in previous years either not been able to or decided not to work with you this year because of COVID-19?

I have a lot of election officials, [because some] of my past election officials are not working this time due to [COVID-19], due to their own personal reasons or they have family members that say, ‘Mom, you’re not doing that this year.’ You know, they want to, but their kids don’t want their parents out in that. So, I do have a lot of new workers this year. Do you think you have enough poll workers for the day of the election?

Well, I sure hope so. Right now, I have my precincts staffed pretty well. So, knock on wood, nobody backs out last minute, I think it will be all right.

As far as poll workers who are working on the day, does the extra burden of infection-control add more to their workload, and if so, do you anticipate that being a problem?

Well sure it’s going to add to their workload, because they’re going to have to sanitize between each voter, so there’s going to be someone that needs to be designated to be [the] cleaner, to go around and spray down the booths after each voter. … And then we’ll probably have someone providing hand sanitizer as they’re coming in the door. So yeah, there’ll be some added duties that way. But I don’t know [if] it will be a burden to them. I’ve tried to get enough people so that we have all of those areas covered.

Has the choice of polling places changed in response to the pandemic?

Yes, I changed a few of them. I had three locations that were fairly small, so I combined them with one at a larger facility just to allow for the separation distance. And also due to workers – they’re kind of hard to find right now.

Do you anticipate the reduction in total number of polling places could present a problem for anyone who is trying to vote?

I don’t foresee that, because I combined one ward in Grinnell with another one, so [voters will] still be in Grinnell. They’re not traveling much further.

Note to readers: The two Grinnell polling locations on election day will be at Elks Lodge (for East and West Grinnell) and the Poweshiek County Fairgrounds (for North Grinnell). If you’re unsure about where to vote, find your polling location with your address here.

After the election, what would be the best-case scenario, and have you thought anything about what could potentially go wrong, with regard to COVID-19 at polling places on Election Day?

What could go wrong? I don’t know – I suppose anything could go wrong. I suppose you could have someone who is infected with it and coughs on everyone, I don’t know. I’m hoping that this has been going on long enough, and I hope people are respectful, and if they’re ill they’re not going to come in. They should just call and say, ‘Hey, I’m ill but I still want to vote. What are my options?’ and we can walk through the curbside voting with them.

Say for example that a voter who is obviously sick walks into a polling place. Have you thought anything about what might happen in that kind of a situation?

Well, [polling workers] have to allow the voter to vote. We can’t turn them away. So I suppose we’re just going to have to keep an eye on them, and obviously sanitize when they’re gone. I guess I don’t know how obvious it’s going to be when someone comes in and they have [COVID-19] or not. We’re just doing the best we can with what we’re dealt, so it’s uncharted waters for all of us and, you know, the auditors are just trying to do the best we can.

Do you think the increase in absentee ballots will make work on Election Day easier?

Absentee ballots are going to be counted on Election Day like they usually are, so obviously it will just take a little longer because there will be more ballots to count. I mean, there won’t be any additional work involved. It will just take a longer time. Is there anything else I didn’t ask about that you want to talk about?

Again, just for people to have patience, [because] I don’t know what this is going to be like. Is it going to be busy? Are there going to be lines? I don’t know. Hopefully people have patience and will be respectful of those around them and keep their distance and wait. And again, I have a lot of new election officials, so this is all new to them, and we’ve got some training set up two days this week, Thursday and Friday, so try to get them all trained and we’ll just keep our fingers crossed that everybody stays and healthy and we don’t have any problems. Everything you need to know about absentee ballots in Poweshiek county

By Nick Parker [email protected]

Poweshiek County is gearing up for its first general election during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across Iowa, many county officials are worried that increased absentee voting as a result of the pandemic could create logistical hurdles ahead of the November election. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said that he “easily could see 80 percent of the people casting their ballot in the fall election [using] absentee,” during an online webinar on Wednesday.

Despite statewide uncertainty, election officials in Poweshiek County don’t expect to receive a significantly higher number of absentee ballots this election cycle.

“Currently we’re at about 3,500 requests received to date… In 2016, we had 4,700 absentee ballots,” said Missy Eilander, Poweshiek County Auditor. “I think it will probably be pretty comparable, [maybe] more… We have the majority of them already, I would say.”

Absentee ballots can’t be mailed to voters until Oct. 5, but residents of Poweshiek County can still place their order for one. “You’ll need to fill out the absentee request form,” said Eilander, “That gets submitted to our office. We get that and enter it in, and from there we can mail the ballot out.” The absentee ballot request form is available until Oct. 24.

The form itself can be found on both Poweshiek County’s website and the Iowa Secretary of State’s website. You can also call the County Auditor’s office and request one directly. All forms must be printed out and either physically returned or mailed to the Auditor’s office.

To successfully complete the request form, voters must provide their name, birthdate, which election they’re requesting the ballot for and their Poweshiek County address. If a voter’s current residence is outside of Poweshiek County, they can provide a separate mailing address, which can include residencies outside of Iowa.

The form also requires an Iowa driver’s license number, non- operator ID number or the 4-digit pin from a Voter Identification Card. All registered voters in Iowa who don’t have a valid Iowa driver’s license should have received a Voter ID card when they registered to vote.

For Grinnell College students living outside of Iowa, their Voter ID card will be an essential part of requesting a ballot in Poweshiek County. Those who cannot find their Voter ID card can call the Auditor’s office and request a new one.

“If I’m a student from Illinois going to Grinnell College,” said Eilander, “and I register to vote but don’t have an Iowa driver’s license, I’m going to need a Voter Card with a 4- digit pin, because I wouldn’t be in the Iowa [Department of Transportation] system.”

Once the request form is signed and dated, voters mail it back inside of a signed affidavit envelope.

Actual absentee ballots will begin arriving to residencies Oct. 5. No witness is required for the ballot to be completed, and voters can select their candidates and mail the ballot back as soon as they receive it. The Auditor’s office will accept all returned ballots that arrive before Nov. 9, provided they are postmarked before election day (Nov. 3). Any ballot received after Nov. 9, or mailed in after Monday, Nov. 2, will not be counted. The Auditor’s office will also be open for anyone who wants to physically drop off their absentee ballot. Between Oct. 5 and Nov. 2, any registered voter can stop by the Auditor’s office to receive their absentee ballot and fill it out in-person. This service will also be available on the last two Saturdays leading up to election day.

How do you campaign during a pandemic?

Iowa’s primary election for local and statewide candidates is over. Now, campaigning for the general election can begin in earnest. But with public safety precautions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic still in place, this year’s elections will look different than those before.

As of Friday, the state of Iowa has confirmed more than 20,000 cases of COVID-19 and 589 deaths. Thursday, June 4 marked the lowest death toll in Iowa from COVID-19 since April 7, with two deaths.

In Poweshiek County, there have been 92 cases and eight people have died. Incumbent Republican Dave Maxwell, House District 76’s representative since 2013, acknowledged that campaigning will be different this year. “I would say there will be a lot more phone calls and mailing of some sort, which both seem to be very effective,” Maxwell said.

“I think traditional campaigning will also work; I have a pretty large collection of signs that we will want to put out in the area. Other than that, though, door knocking seems like it will be very limited. … Parades will not be happening, which is a shame, as I felt like we usually did a pretty good job participating in those,” he said. Sarah Smith, Maxwell’s Democrat opponent, shared some of the same views, but she also said she’s using social media to connect with the public: “More than ever, I am trying to make sure I have consistent posts on my pages. On Thursdays I read children’s books, because I can’t volunteer at the library for story time, and I really love reading to children,” she said.

She’s also using her platforms to quickly answer the community’s questions. “I am having a session called ‘20 minutes with Sarah’ so that people can come and listen and get to know who I am and know about issues that I am focusing on in the campaign. I am really encouraging people to submit questions so that I can answer people right then and there,” said Smith. Kamal Hammouda, the longtime owner of Grinnell restaurant Relish and independent candidate for HD-76, is taking a more individual approach to his campaign. “When I declared my candidacy, someone asked me how I was going to win, and I said, ‘One vote at a time,’ and that is still true now,” he said. “I am going to do that whether it is by phone or in the park or on my patio talking to every individual one by one. It does not matter how long it takes, that is my method right now. I am not focusing on yard signs or anything that is a typical trap of campaigning.”.

But Hammouda also said he and his team were taking COVID-19 concerns into consideration by developing digital campaigning strategies.

Dawn Driscoll, who won the Republican nomination to replace retiring state senator Tim Kapucian, said that she’s had to change her campaign strategy in light of the current pandemic.

“We were going to run a really hard pavement game, as far as on the road all the time and getting ourselves out there, trying to get in front of as many people as possible. Then, when the pandemic and isolation hit, it was probably about five days in and I thought, we’re going to have to change the direction of the whole entire campaign,” Driscoll said.

Now, Driscoll is focusing on using phone calls to connect with voters. “I think that the strategy is to be as flexible as possible. I still think that it’s such uncharted territory, going into this, and we just have to be prepared to be at home again and run your campaign out of your house instead of out in front of people. It’s unfortunate, but it just makes it that much harder. Driscoll defeats Dozark and Adams in District 38 Republican state Senate primary

Dawn Driscoll, cattle farmer and acting president of the Iowa County Farm Bureau, won the Republican primary for the State Senate District 38 seat on Tuesday, June 2. Driscoll, who is from Williamsburg, Iowa, said that she is rooting her campaign in her conservative farm values and pushing for greater support of agriculture and rural communities.

Driscoll received 46 percent of the vote on Tuesday, edging out fellow Republicans Garrett Dozark and Bruce Adams, who earned 35 and 19 percent, respectively. She is now running against Democratic candidate and Grinnell College Information Technology Services employee Ivy Schuster, who won the Democratic primary with 83 percent of the vote. (Schuster could not be reached for comment for this piece.)

“I was absolutely honored and thankful,” said Driscoll of her reaction to the election results. “I had all the emotions, honestly. We had worked so hard that I was ecstatic.”

Driscoll announced her candidacy last August. Senator Tim Kapucian, who currently represents District 38 in the State Senate, encouraged Driscoll to run for the seat after getting to know her as a lobbyist for the Iowa Farm Bureau. Kapucian is currently serving his third and final term as State Senator.

“[Kapucian] pulled me aside and said, ‘I’m going to probably resign,’ and on my drive home I thought, ‘How could I miss an opportunity like this?’” said Driscoll. “So, it’s been in the back of my mind for the last couple of years and I’m so glad, I’m so thankful for it.”

Driscoll, who also works as a recruiter for Hummer AgriBusiness Search, wants to prioritize issues in mental healthcare, education and law enforcement. She said her background in agriculture has given her a work ethic and an ability to connect to rural communities, skills she said have prepared her to be a successful legislator in the Iowa State Senate.

Originally, Driscoll planned to campaign through consistent participation in city council meetings throughout Iowa, Benton and Poweshiek counties. Then the COVID-19 pandemic came along.

“We took to the phones!” said Driscoll. “We spent hours on the phone, every day, and when I say hours, I mean probably ten hours a day.”

She and her campaign team, which consists of family members and friends from the community, have called thousands of voters since in-person campaign events were suspended in March. Though Driscoll remains hopeful some on-the-ground campaigning can continue, she emphasized that it’s unlikely she will be able to make her case in person to any large groups of voters before the general election.

“I’m so thankful that the governor has done what she’s done the whole time,” said Driscoll, regarding Governor Kim Reynolds’ approach to handling the coronavirus.

Reynolds was one of only eight governors in the U.S. to not implement a stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the virus, though she did restrict certain businesses and behavior.

“As far as going out, it’s not a big deal if you don’t feel comfortable because everyone has different feelings. I think that Iowans are very respectful of those opinions,” said Driscoll. “People are very cautious, I think, this year, and I think that that’s a good thing.”