Iowa Democratic Party Chair

(music)

With republicans now in full control of both the state and federal governments, Iowa democrats are working to regain their footing. We'll talk with Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart on this edition of Iowa Press.

(music)

Funding for Iowa Press was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation.

(music)

The Associated General Contractors of Iowa, the public's partner in building Iowa's highway, bridge and municipal utility infrastructure.

Elite Casino Resorts is rooted in Iowa. Elite's 1,600 employees are our company's greatest asset. A family run business, Elite supports volunteerism, encourages promotions from within and shares profits with our employees.

(music)

Across Iowa, hundreds of neighborhood banks strive to serve their communities, provide jobs and help local businesses. Iowa banks are proud to back the life you build. Learn more at iowabankers.com.

(music)

For decades, Iowa Press has brought you political leaders and newsmakers from across Iowa and beyond. Celebrating more than 50 years on statewide Iowa PBS, this is the Friday, February 21st edition of Iowa Press. Here is Kay Henderson.

(music)

[Henderson] Two years ago, our guest on this edition of Iowa Press was just learning how to be Iowa Democratic Party Chair. This past January she was re-elected to a four-year term to lead the Iowa Democratic Party. She is a former State Senator and the 2018 nominee for democrats to be Lieutenant Governor. Rita Hart of Wheatland, welcome back to Iowa Press.

[Hart] Thank you so much. It's great to be here.

[Henderson] Also joining the conversation, Brianne Pfannenstiel of the Des Moines Register and Erin Murphy of the Gazette in Cedar Rapids.

[Murphy] Chairwoman Hart, we wanted to start by asking you about some fresh news this week. Late this week, republicans in the Iowa House introduced legislation that would remove gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, effectively ending legal protections for transgender Iowans. Just wanted to get your first general reaction to that.

[Hart] Yeah, so I think that it's clear that democrats stand firmly on the position that rights should be recognized for everyone. Everyone should have civil rights. And let's be clear, we're talking about the rights to housing, the rights to a credit card, the rights that help you exist on this planet in any kind of effective way. So, I think it's unfortunate that the republicans, again, want to bring up things that are more of a culture war than they are about things that truly are important to making Iowa a better place to live. And so, it's disappointing I believe.

[Murphy] You're a former member of the Iowa legislature. You were in the Iowa Senate. How would you have voted on this bill?

[Hart] Oh, we cannot support going backwards as far as making sure that people have their civil rights.

[Pfannenstiel] The Democratic Party has had to do a bit of soul searching after the last election about how to talk about issues like gender identity, especially in context with pocketbook issues, things like that. So, how should the Democratic Party here in Iowa be talking about this and messaging it as we look forward to the next election cycle?

[Hart] Yeah, so again, I think it's clear that democrats are united in standing up for people and their individual rights. But we also recognize that the economic issues are really the driver of any election, that people vote their pocketbooks and that right now the state of Iowa is facing some really dangerous, some threatening kinds of issues when it comes to our economy. We're looking at a downturn on the ag economy. That is going to trickle off to the economy in general. We're looking at cancer rates that are too high. We're looking at a legislature and an administration that is taking public dollars and refocusing them into private education instead of public education where the vast majority of students are attending. And so, this is what I think is really important for all of us to talk about as democrats are the issues that we're hearing from people are so important, the issues that are real in their lives that are important and that are very specific and that democrats have different solutions for.

[Henderson] House democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst was on the program a couple of weeks ago and said that democrats will be digging into the results of 2024 when you get all of the data. Might you find that your concerted effort to identify democrats who voted in the past and hadn't been regular voters had actually turned into republicans?

[Hart] Yeah, I think again we've learned quite a bit by looking at the numbers so far. It's clear that we had similar turnouts in '24 that we did in '22. But results are -- and we did not have a good year in '22 either. So, this is, again, I think we're clear that we've got to do a better job of getting our message out to the people that are receptive to it. And so that is our challenge. Our challenge is in doing the kinds of organizing work, getting our volunteers organized in a way where they can have the kind of conversations and make sure that people understand what democrats stand for.

[Henderson] Is part of your problem that democrats focus on policy whereas republicans talk about being part of their group with a cultural identity?

[Hart] Well, that is a really good question. I do think that we've been accused of weighing in more on cultural issues when that serves the republican interest. And so, I think that it comes down to what are the people saying? What are they caring about? And they're talking to us about how they are upset that Iowa is going in the wrong direction, that they want their children to remain here in Iowa, that they have children that have already left Iowa who refuse to come back because of some of the changes that have taken place over the last few years in Iowa. That is what people are talking about and that is what I think is really important to the future of Iowa itself.

[Murphy] Since you last joined us there was a special election in the Iowa legislature because of an empty seat created when Lieutenant Governor, now Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer was selected out of the Iowa Senate. Democrats won that special election, flipped obviously a seat that had been held republican. We always hear be careful about projecting too much out of a special election one way or the other. But I'm just wondering your reaction to that. And is there a lesson in what happened there that Iowa democrats can apply moving forward?

[Hart] Yeah, I think that there is. I take that very personally, that victory, because that is my old Senate seat and so I'm really tickled that it's back in democratic hands. I'm also tickled in the way we won that election because special elections are different. It's just a different process entirely. But the lesson I think that is to be learned there is that democrats put up a candidate who is reflective of the district itself. Mike Zimmer is an educator, he is a small business owner, he is a dedicated public servant. He is the kind of person that you can send to the state legislature, know who he is today and know who he's going to be tomorrow because he's not going to change. He is going to be doing the hard work. He is going to be fair-minded. He is going to do his homework. He is going to come back to the district and he's going to be communicative, he's going to listen to folks. He is going to be the kind of representative that makes the state a stronger place to live. And so, we put up a great candidate like that and the people responded.

[Murphy] And there's another one coming up now in the Iowa House. It's the demographics, the voting demographics there are a little bit better for republicans than the Senate district that we're talking about here. What are your hopes for that election?

[Hart] So, let's be clear in that in the state, the first, in Mike Zimmer's race that was a pretty big lift as well. That was a 21 plus Trump district. This district is I think 27 plus Trump district, so it's a little bit higher lift. And so, the challenge is greater, but the same scenario exists. We've got a really great candidate in Nannette Griffin. She is a small business owner. She is a hard worker. She is honest. She is authentic. She's a good representative of that district. And the same thing will happen here, is already happening in that special election where people are coming out to help because they recognize how important it is to get a representative that truly reflects the district itself.

[Pfannenstiel] And speaking of strong candidates, how is candidate recruitment going for some of these races that we're going to be seeing on the ballot in 2026?

[Hart] Yeah, so we believe that '26 is a real opportunity for us. First of all, historically we know that when one party has total control the midterms are a time when the opposing party picks up a few seats. It's an entirely different layout in '26 than we had in '24. The top of the ticket will be the Governor's race. We believe we'll have a very competitive Governor's race this time around. We have four congressional seats, two of which have already been targeted, and we'll see what happens to the other two. And we've got a lot of Senate and House openings for good candidates to step up. What I can tell you is that I have had lots of conversations with people who are very much interested in running. Democrats are very much fired up. And if you don't believe me, you can talk to my staffer who answers the phone at the office. We're just getting a lot of people who are very much invigorated and not happy about the direction that the country is going and the direction that the state is going. And that really is an incentive for good candidates to step up. So, I've had great conversations with people at the federal level and I'm also calling through everybody who ran for office last time and I'm having great conversations with them. I just am calling to thank them. But they are volunteering that they're interested in running again. So, I believe we'll have good candidates and I think we'll have better experienced candidates and candidates with more name recognition.

[Pfannenstiel] So, should we expect to see maybe Christina Bohannan running again in the First District where she just lost by 800 votes?

[Hart] I cannot speak for Christina Bohannan. But I would tell you that we're having great conversations there as well.

[Henderson] Do these candidates have to make a decision when they're running for a congressional seat to tell people soon? Because you have to raise a lot of money and you have to raise name recognition.

[Hart] Correct. And again, I think every race is different, every candidate is different. Some candidates are better off to wait until after the legislature is over, that kind of thing. But yeah, rule of thumb is the sooner you can get going the better.

[Henderson] Hint, legislators are going to run. Write that down.

(laughter)

[Henderson] Let's turn to the Governor's race.

[Hart] I don't think that's a shock, is it?

(laughter)

[Henderson] This past week, Iowans saw Governor Kim Reynolds and State Auditor Rob Sand sort of face off over an issue. Is Rob Sand sort of the anointed democrat running for Governor in 2026?

[Hart] You know, I think it's really interesting that we're talking about DOGE across the country and here in the state of Iowa and Kim Reynolds went out to D.C. to talk about her ability to go after government efficiency. And yet here she is in the state of Iowa where our elected representative who is responsible for ferreting out corruption and making sure that things are transparent and that our money is being spent well is, she has been trying to curb his efforts, his ability to do his job. And so, that is something that is important in and of itself and I would say that the fact that her administration has gone after Rob Sand seems very political.

[Henderson] So, is he the heir apparent to the democratic nomination for Governor in 2026?

[Hart] That's very good of you to hone in again. There are no heirs apparent. But we're looking for good people to step up and the best candidates will emerge.

[Henderson] There is also a U.S. Senate race in 2026 in Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst up for re-election, expected to run for re-election. Will you get any national support given the way the map looks right now?

[Hart] I think that that Senate seat remains to be seen what kind of attention that is going to get. But I think that there is going to be many races here that are going to really create a lot of interest here in the state of Iowa.

[Murphy] I'm curious your thoughts as we wait to see who decides to run in some of these races, especially statewide. If we look back at some recent history with Iowa democrats whether it is Fred Hubbell for Governor in 2018, Theresa Greenfield for Senate in 2020, Bruce Braley for Senate going back to 2014, a little bit to Kay's question earlier about contested primaries or the lack thereof in some of these races. What is your view as State Party Chair and your job is to help the party have the best candidate possible ready for the general election? Are competitive primaries better for that goal than someone coming in and essentially clearing the field from the start?

[Hart] I like to see that this happens through natural forces. When you force something to happen, I don't believe it ends up as well. So, when I first started as a State Senator, I had a healthy primary. That was good for me as a candidate. It was good I think for the end result because I think we had a better general election as a result. But that's not always true. Some races the sooner we know the candidate, the sooner we can get to work on the general and don't have to spend the kind of money that you have to spend in a primary. So again, I think it's best to just see what happens.

[Murphy] Is it a race-to-race kind of thing? Is that what you're saying? Or is there no blanket answer to that question?

[Hart] Right, correct. I think every situation is different.

[Murphy] Okay, we want to shift gears a little bit. I'm curious to get your thoughts on how democrats are choosing to operate in this time when we're getting a lot of news out of the new federal administration that you alluded to earlier, a lot of big moves coming with the government efficiency stuff, some of the nominees that are being put forward. How is the Democratic Party in Iowa choosing to message in a time like this when one of the analogies we use on our side of this whole thing is the fire hose and trying to drink from the fire hose when that much news is coming. How do democrats message in a time like this in a way that is effective to reaching voters?

[Hart] Yeah, so it is a difficult time I think because that has been the strategy to come in and have a hostile government takeover and really lay things out quickly and create chaos. And I don't think that's good for the United States of America. But that's the way it is. And as democrats I think it's really important to keep people focused. Again, let's talk about the issues that really matter to Iowans, that are real in their lives. And so, that is why we've been focusing on telling the stories. We've been talking to folks who have been affected by these changes with USAID, with NIH, with the USDA and so we're talking to people like the young man that I think you guys covered too that is from, worked for the USDA and lost his job and received the notice that said it was for performance, but his performance has always been excellent. And therefore, we're losing a scientist who is working on important things like bird flu, which is really important to Iowa. The veteran who had 32 years in who also lost her job because she had gotten a promotion and so now is on the chopping block and now is not able to provide the services for veterans that are so needed here. That is our focus is to show the stories and how these things are really affecting Iowa. I think it was -- I'm sorry I'm forgetting his name -- but there was somebody, you guys can probably tell me, the saying that any jackass can come in and kick down the barn, but it takes a carpenter to build it. And I think that's what Iowans understand is that it doesn't make sense to look for efficiency but then come in and just make havoc and then have to re-come back in and put things back in place. That's not efficient.

[Pfannenstiel] We've seen over the years that Donald Trump and his policies tend to be more popular in Iowa than they are nationally. So, how do you break through? How do you find the things and communicate them to Iowans that might actually cut through the noise?

[Hart] So yeah, again, it's making it real. It's telling the stories. It's making sure that people understand how this is affecting individuals and therefore how it's going to affect our economy, how the solutions that need to be taken here are probably not showing themselves in this process. And so, we've got to make that real for folks. And it's Sam Rayburn. That's who I meant, was that quote.

[Henderson] How do you function in this environment when you have people in your party who are saying telling the stories isn't enough, we need to do more? And democrats aren't doing enough?

[Hart] Sure, well I think that, again, there's all kinds of things that are going on, not necessarily by the Democratic Party, but by other groups that are concerned about what is happening. And so, we're encouraging our democrats to get involved at every level, to find out who is doing what across the state, what causes they are particularly involved in and care about and get involved many different ways across the board.

[Henderson] Let's talk about the health of the Democratic Party. You've been there for two years. What is the compare and contrast? What was the fundraising like when you arrived and what is it like now? Because people look at Iowa, they saw Trump won here by double digits. Are they willing to invest in the Iowa Democratic Party?

[Hart] Yeah, I would tell you that things were not good in 2022 when I started. We were not in a good financial situation. And we had to do a lot of work in order to provide a plan that said this is worth investing in. But the good news is I could tell you very strongly that we're in much better shape here in '24 than we were in '22. I had two and a half staffers when I started in '22, I have eleven staffers now. The ability to do the programming just simply did not exist. And so, there were a lot of things that we can do today getting ready for '26 as the off year of '25 that we could not do in '23. And so, we're very clear in talking to folks about the work that we are doing now that we are able to do because people stepped up in 2022 and helped make this all possible. And so now we're able to do some really strong prepatory work to get ready for '26.

[Henderson] I've heard you talk over the past couple of years that when you began there were a number of county parties that didn't have leadership. Have you fixed that?

[Hart] Well, I told you then that it was going to take several cycles. But I can tell you again that yes, we're in a much better place organizationally than we were two years ago. And again, now we can really focus in on '25 now that I have more staff. We're going to be able to get to that place where I could tell you that we have organization in every county in this state. That I am determined to make happen. But I can tell you that we've been focusing in on these county parties. They have been really stepping up. A lot of great things are happening because we've got great volunteers in our counties who are stepping up and doing things that are going to make a difference. And so, I'm looking forward to great things happening here over the next few months.

[Murphy] We're down to our last couple of minutes. I wanted to ask you, your counterpart as Chair of the Republican Party of Iowa, Jeff Kaufmann, has been in that position since -- I'm sorry, Kay, I forget the year --

[Henderson] 2014.

[Murphy) 2014. So, more than ten years now in that position. The Iowa Democratic Party has had, with the exception of your recent re-election, much more turnover at the Chair position. Is that consistency that we've seen in the last decade at the Republican Party, is that a part of the secret sauce of the party building that you're talking about? And to that, as Kay mentioned at the top you were recently re-elected to a four-year term instead of two years, which was new. Is that part of the thinking there?

[Hart] I do think that -- that came from the State Central Committee and members, volunteers who thought that was important to turn that term from two years to four years. I think that is a reflection that continuity makes a difference and that leadership makes a difference. And so yeah, I think that is why. I re-upped. I want to be part of helping the Democratic Party to have the kind of consistency that really makes a difference.

[Pfannenstiel] And you know we have to squeeze in one question about the Iowa Caucuses. There's new leadership at the DNC. You're obviously installed for another four-year term. What is the vision for the party? And do you think there is more opportunity now to work with the DNC on something around the Caucuses?

[Hart] Yeah, well for one thing I think it's much different for me as the Chair of the Democratic Party today than there was when I started at that juncture in '23. And it's a much different cycle. And we learned some lessons I think from the last go around. And yes, we have new leadership at the DNC with Ken Martin. He is out of Minnesota. He understands Iowa and its history and its importance. I told you then that we're going to have a family conversation about this. We've already -- I'm having those conversations with people who are wanting to talk about this already. But we're looking forward to see where people are going to land on this and how we can get to some consensus.

[Henderson] Well, the consensus right now is that we're out of time for this conversation. Thanks for joining us on this edition of Iowa Press.

[Hart] Hey, my great pleasure. Thanks to all of you.

[Henderson] You can watch every episode of Iowa Press at iowapbs.org. For everyone here at Iowa PBS, thanks for watching today.

(music)

(music)

Funding for Iowa Press was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation.

The Associated General Contractors of Iowa, the public's partner in building Iowa's highway, bridge and municipal utility infrastructure.

Elite Casino Resorts a family run business rooted in Iowa. We believe our employees are part of our family and we strive to improve their quality of life and the quality of lives within the communities we serve.

(music)

Across Iowa, hundreds of neighborhood banks strive to serve their communities, provide jobs and help local businesses. Iowa banks are proud to back the life you build. Learn more at iowabankers.com.

(music)