Governor Kim Reynolds shocked Iowa politics by announcing she will not seek reelection in 2026. But the governor’s mansion is not the only seat folks are eyeing in 2026.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith speaks with four Democrats who are eyeing a 2026 run against US Sen. Joni Ernst: state Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville, state Rep. J.D. Scholten of Sioux City, state Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs, and Nathan Sage of Knoxville who launched his campaign today.

Join the conversation with Iowa Starting Line's Amie Rivers and Avery Staker as they discuss the candidates and what they’re bringing to the table.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line with music by Avery Mossman. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. For more, check out cornholechampions.substack.com.

Guests:

* Sen. Zach Wahls is a Democrat representing State Senate District 37. He’s the executive director of the Next 50, a group working to recruit young people to run for office. He has a newsletter.

* Rep. J.D. Scholten of Sioux City is a Democrat representing State House District 1. He writes about fighting corporate monopolies on his newsletter You're Probably Getting Screwed.

* Rep. Josh Turek is a Democrat representing State House District 90 and two-time Paralympic gold medalist. He has a newsletter.

* Nathan Sage is a veteran and the executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce and previously worked as a radio station director for KNIA/KRLS in Indianola.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cornholechampions.substack.com

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