Also, an advocacy group for abortion access announced endorsements and investments in Democratic Iowa Statehouse candidates
DES MOINES — Donald Trump’s formerly double-digit lead in Iowa is now just 4 percentage points, a new Iowa Poll shows.
Published over the weekend, the latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows Trump, the Republican former president seeking another term, with a lead of just 47 to 43 percent over Democratic candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
That 4-point margin is a significant drop from the 18-point advantage Trump held over Democratic President Joe Biden in June. In that Iowa Poll, Trump enjoyed an expansive 50-32 percentage advantage over Biden.
Biden ended his re-election campaign in July, and shortly afterward Democrats nominated Harris to run against Trump in the Nov. 5 presidential election. The latest Iowa Poll is the first since Harris became the Democratic nominee.
The Iowa Poll is conducted for the Register by the Des Moines-based polling firm Selzer and Co. and is considered the gold standard in Iowa political polling. Selzer and Co. has a rating of 2.8 out of a possible 3 stars by the political data journalism website fivethirtyeight.com.
There has been little polling on the presidential election in Iowa in 2024 because the state is expected to go comfortably to Trump, who has won the state both times he has been on the ballot: by 9 points over Hillary Clinton in 2016 and by 8 points over Biden in 2020.
In 2016, the Iowa Poll showed Trump with a 4-point edge over Clinton in October and a 7-point edge just before the election. In 2020, the Iowa Poll showed Trump and Biden even in September before showing Trump with a 7-point lead in October.
The new Iowa Poll also showed 6 percent support for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and 1 percent for Libertarian Chase Oliver. Kennedy late last month suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump.
Abortion rights group puts $150K behind Iowa candidates
The abortion rights group Iowans for Health Liberty announced a slate of endorsements of 52 Statehouse candidates — all Democrats — and pledged to donate roughly $150,000 to their campaigns.
The endorsements include both incumbent Democrats and Democratic challengers.
The group was formed in 2023 in response to Iowa’s passage of a new state law that restricts abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, which typically is at roughly six weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman is aware of the pregnancy.
The group said it has received contributions from more than 400 donors.
“Their generosity underscores the commitment to a shared belief that patients, in conjunction with their physicians, are best equipped to choose when to become pregnant or to end a pregnancy, as well as make other private medical decisions,” Emily Boevers, an obstetrician and gynecologist and president of Iowans for Health Liberty, said in a statement.
The group said it will donate $110,000 to “candidates who can win on Nov. 5,” and before the election will donate another $40,000.
Hinson, Corkery to debate on Iowa PBS
Republican incumbent Ashley Hinson and Democratic challenger Sarah Corkery in Eastern Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District will debate next month on Iowa PBS, the network has announced.
The debate has been scheduled for 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at Iowa PBS studios in Johnston.
“Iowa Press” host Kay Henderson will moderate with two yet unnamed Iowa political reporters. The debate will air live on Iowa PBS and be streamed on iowapbs.org, YouTube and Facebook.
Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau
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