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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Iowa Quietly Emerges as Battleground State

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Wednesday, October 14, 2020   

DES MOINES, Iowa -- President Donald Trump is to hold a campaign rally in Iowa today. His visit signals how important the state has become in the presidential race, and coincides with a host of struggles many residents are facing.

In 2016, candidate Trump won Iowa by nine points, leaving many pundits thinking it wouldn't be competitive in 2020. But the polls have tightened, and the Hawkeye State now is viewed as a toss-up, a few weeks before the election.

University of Northern Iowa political scientist Donna Hoffman said Iowa actually has a history of being a swing state -- just not as consistently as others.

"Every election cycle brings a unique set of characteristics to it," she said, "and we're seeing that manifest in 2020."

This time around, she said, farmers -- who still express strong support for Trump -- have seen a mixed bag from trade policies. This summer's derecho storm left Iowa fields flattened, reigniting concerns about the impacts of climate change.

She also noted that protests over systemic racism were very visible in Iowa this year, likely leading to more activity from marginalized voters.

Hoffman said the pandemic factor also could be playing a role in the tight polling results. Iowa still is among the states with higher coronavirus infection rates. Gov. Kim Reynolds, a staunch supporter of the president, has come under fire for her response to the crisis.

"Gov. Reynolds has not put in a mask mandate in the state, as many other governors -- even Republican governors -- have done in some other states that have seen high numbers," Hoffman said.

Trump himself has been criticized by opponents and health officials for not fully embracing mask use or carrying out a consistent message on the virus.

Meanwhile, Hoffman said, it will be interesting to see the impact of an executive order signed by Reynolds this year, restoring the voting rights of convicted felons. Prior to the move, Iowa was the last state to still have such a ban.

An Iowa election analysis is online at cookpolitical.com.

---

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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