(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend testified before a U-S House committee Tuesday on the revamp of the state’s unemployment system. Townsend says Iowa modeled its Reemployment Case Management (RCM) program after a similar federal program, but it offers those who’ve lost their jobs help faster. “Unemployment claimants in Iowa now are contacted about R-C-M during the first week after they file for benefits career planner scheduled one on one appointments,” she says.

The federal program waited five weeks before working with those who lost their jobs. Townsend says they help the unemployed through the process of finding a new job, or training for something different. She says that gets them back working quicker. “We have saved approximately 250 million dollars in unemployment benefits in the last two years paid out, which results in a in a reduction in unemployment taxes to our employers,” Townsend says. Through this program we’ve been very successful in helping Iowans get back to work faster and helping Iowa employers find the workforce that they need.”

Townsend told the House panel that she’s heard from a lot of people who like the help that is available in finding another job. “I have received daily success stories from individuals who when they lose their job they’re frustrated, they’re hopeless, they’re anxious and they’re not sure where they’re going to go,” she says. Townsend says having a person in their corner to say “you can do this” and help them through the process has proved successful. “We’re helping Iowans get jobs that are beyond what they expect it to get they’re getting really good paying jobs and they’re getting those careers,” she says.

Townsend testified before the U-S House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – With Tuesday’s Primary Election ended, the focus shifts now to the November 5th General Election. In Cass and adjacent counties, there will be a few races to keep an eye on.

In Cass County, the 5th District Board of Supervisors race will pit incumbent Republican Bernard Pettinger against Democrat Phyllis Stakey. Pettinger triumphed 85-to 31 votes over his opponent, J Ford Lillard, and earned the right to have his name on the ballot.

In Montgomery County, incumbent 3rd District Supervisor Randy Cooper lost his bid to move on to November, when he was defeated 57-to 45 Tuesday, by his Republican challenger Bryant Amos. In Montgomery County District 5, where Republican Jill Cooper withdrew from the race prior to the election due to health issues and threw her support behind Alex Burton (but still garnered 15 votes), Burton is unopposed in November. He received 92 votes in Tuesday’s election.

In Pottawattamie County, there were five Republican candidates competing in Tuesday’s election for the Board of Supervisors. The top two candidates who move on to November, were incumbents Brian Shea (with 1,117 votes) and Tim Wichman (with 1,139 votes). There were no Democrat candidates running. And, incumbent Republican Pott. County Auditor Melyvn J. Houser was upset in his bid for re-election, when he was defeated by fellow Republican Mary Ann Hanusa, 1,708 to 831 votes.

And in Shelby County, Mike Kolbe and incumbent Charles Parkhurst won two seats in the Board of Supervisors race on the Republican ballot, Tuesday. Kolbe received 692 votes. Parkhurst won 470. Republican Alexis Carter received 392 votes. Also in Shelby County, Taryn Napp won the Republican party’s vote for County Auditor, by 504-to 380 votes over Melissa Arkfeld.

County-by-County results from Tuesday’s Primary Election can be found on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.

(Radio Iowa) – The most watched Iowa congressional race in this year’s General Election will be in the third district, where Democratic Primary voters have chosen Lanon Baccam of Des Moines to challenge Republican Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant. Baccam won the Democratic Primary with 84 percent of the vote. “We’re going to show Iowans that the connections we have to each other and the communities we build together are more important than the political disagreements we may have,” Baccam said.

Nunn discussed the stakes in the third district at a gathering of Iowa Republicans this past weekend. “This race in Des Moines, Iowa 3, has been ranked as one of the most competitive races in the country,” Nunn said. “We have an opponent who’s raised millions…and candidly, that buys a lot of TV time in Iowa.” Nunn suggests the economy will be a top issue. “When our economy has fallen so far — inflation has increased, interest rates have increased — we are putting brakes on the best country in the world,” Nunn said.

In remarks last (Tuesday) night, Baccam told his supporters abortion rights will be a pivotal issue. “I’ll fight to restore the rights found under Roe v Wade,” Baccam said. “I’ll make sure that women have the freedom to make their own health care decisions.” Baccam defeated Melissa Vine of West Des Moines, a single mother of four boys who leads a non-profit that serves women who’ve experienced trauma, like domestic abuse.

The Iowa Secretary of State’s website shows Republicans had a voter registration edge of 16-thousand over Democrats in the third district on June 1st.

(Radio Iowa) – Fourth district Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull has defeated Republican Primary challenger Kevin Virgil by 20 points. Feenstra issued a written statement last (Tuesday) night, saying voters sent the message they want a conservative voice in congress and he’s humbled by the strong support for his campaign. During a forum in Cherokee last week, Feenstra discussed his decision to run for the U-S House in 2020.

“I had a tremendous amount of farm producers and businesses come to me and say: ‘We need somebody who can make a different in congress,'” Feenstra said, “and that’s what I try to do every single day.” Feenstra beat fellow Republican Steve King in that first race and he’s defeated the candidate King endorsed in this 2024 G-O-P Primary.

Ryan Melton of Nevada is again the Democratic Party’s nominee in the fourth congressional district. Melton says the top concerns he hears from voters haven’t changed much since 2022.”Number one is the hollowing out of our communities in our fourth congressional district,” Melton says, “a steady population decline that’s leaving us much less secure, much more vulnerable in a wide variety of different ways.” Melton, who got 30 percent of the vote in his 2022 race, says concerns about the proposed carbon capture pipelines come up at nearly every campaign stop.

“I’m the first major party candidate in the state to fight against the pipelines back in early ’22, so that’s given me a rare foot in the door in Republican households that other Democrats don’t have,” Melton says, “that I’ve been on the right side of that battle since the very beginning.”

Republicans hold a sizable voter registration edge in Iowa’s fourth district — there are nearly 153-thousand more Republicans than active Democratic voters.

(Radio Iowa) – Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Davenport has cleared a Republican Primary challenge in Iowa’s first congressional district and will be on the November ballot as she seeks a third term in the U-S House. Miller-Meeks finished 12 points ahead of David Pautsch, a Republican businessman from Davenport.

“The work that we have done has been solid work, solid effort in making sure that we address the needs and issues of people and that feel they have been listened to and that someone is working to solve their problems and issues,” Miller-Meeks says, “and to make their lives better.” Miller-Meeks says having Trump at the top of the Iowa ticket gives Republicans tail-winds — and Biden will be a drag on Democrats.

“The economy is struggling,” Miller-Meeks says. “We’ve got two wars abroad with Iran looking to become even more aggressive and China looking to be more aggressive they see a weak president and a weak response.” Democrats have again nominating Christina Bohannon of Iowa City in the first congressional district. Bohannon, who lost to Miller-Meeks by about seven points in 2022, says the political environment in 2024 is different.

“People are really fed up with what’s been happening here both at the state level and the federal level,” Bohannon says. “At the federal level, we see nothing but dysfunction.” Bohannon says Miller-Meeks is out of step with voters on the abortion issue. “It’s why people are so fired up to knock doors and donate to this campaign because they know she is too extreme for Iowa on this issue,” Bohannon says.

Republicans have a voter registration edge in the first congressional district of just over 17,000.

(I) = Incumbent; Note: Results are unofficial until canvassed by the Board of Supervisors

COUNTY OFFICE

County Auditor – Republican Party

Danielle (Dani) Fink (I)     204

2 Write-In

County Sheriff – Democratic Party

Marty Arganbright (I)     155

6 Write-In

County Sheriff – Republican Party

Matt Harmann     186

10 Write-In

County Board of Supervisors District 5 – Republican ballot (Elect 1)

Mike Dickson     25

4 Write-In

County Board of Supervisors – Republican ballot (Elect 1)

Brian E. Johnson (I)     36

FEDERAL OFFICE

U.S. Representative – District 3

Democratic Party (Elect 1)

Lanon Baccam     171

Melissa Vine     18

(I) = Incumbent; Note: Results are unofficial until canvassed by the Board of Supervisors

65,591 registered voters; Voter turn-out 5.29%; 3,419 votes cast

COUNTY OFFICE

Board of Supervisors – Republican Party (Elect 2)

Adam Houser     870

Charlie Johnson     1,016

Brian Shea (I)     1,117

Tim Wichman (I)     1,139

Karis Crilly     417

County Sheriff – Republican Party

Andy Brown (I)     2,343

County Auditor – Republican Party (Elect 1)

Melvyn J. Houser (I)     831

Mary Ann Hanusa     1,708**

State Representative – District 4 (Republican Party) (Elect 1)

Kevin Virgil     755

Randy Feenstra (I)    1,733

(I) = Incumbent; Note: Results are unofficial until canvassed by the Board of Supervisors

Registered voters: 9,408; Votes cast (Voter turnout): 680 (7.22%

DEMOCRATIC PARTY

U.S. Representative – District 3 (vote for 1)

Lanon Baccam     94

Melissa Vine     63

Board of Supervisors – District 5

Phyllis Stakey     44

REPUBLICAN PARTY

U.S. Representative – District 3

Zach Nunn (I)     469

4 Write-In

State Representative – District 18

Thomas Jay Moore (I)     464

3 Write-In

Board of Supervisors – District 1

Stephen S. Green (I)     73

2 Write-In

Board of Supervisors – District 4

Steve Baier (I)     74

2 Write-In

Board of Supervisors – District 5 (Vote for 1)

J Ford Lillard     31

Bernard Pettinger (I)     85**

County Auditor

Kathy Somers (I)  446

12 Write-In

County Sheriff

John Westering     497

2 Write-In

(I) = Incumbent; Note: Results are unofficial until canvassed by the Board of Supervisors

COUNTY OFFICE

Board of Supervisors – Republican Party (Elect 2)

Mike Kolbe     692**

Alexis Carter     392

Charles Parkhurst (I)     470**

15 Write-In

County Sheriff – Republican Party (Elect 1)

Neil W. Gross (I)     848

25 Write-In

County Auditor – Republican Party (Elect 1)

Melissa Arkfeld     380

Taryn Napp     504**

4 Write-In

FEDERAL OFFICE

State Representative – District 4 (Republican Party) (Elect 1)

Kevin Virgil     294

Randy Feenstra (I)      540

2 Write-In

(I) = Incumbent; Note: Results are unofficial until canvassed by the Board of Supervisors

COUNTY OFFICE

County Auditor

Republican – Jill Ozuna (I)  308

4 Write-in votes

County Sheriff – Republican Party

Jon D. Spunaugle (I)     330

5 Write-In

County Board of Supervisors District 3– Republican Party (Elect 1)

Bryant Amos     57** winner

Randy Cooper (I)     45

County Board of Supervisors District 5 – Republican Party (Elect 1)

Jill Cooper (Withdrew due to medical issues)     15

Alex Burton     92**