(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Democratic Party chairman Mark Smith is traveling to Cedar Rapids and Davenport today (Friday) to critique Republican Senator Joni Ernst’s health care record. “In this election, the easiest question that voters can ask themselves is: After Senator Ernst’s half decade in Washington, is my health care any better?”  Smith predicts health care will be the number one issue for voters.

Ernst is seeking a second term in the U.S. Senate. A spokesman for the Republican Party of Iowa says the five Democrats who’ve lined up to challenge Ernst are embracing socialized medicine, while Ernst is working to make health care more accessible.