Why Democrats think they can win back Iowa from Trump

Why Democrats think they can win back Iowa from Trump

From Americast by BBC News

June 3, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential for Democrats to win back Iowa from Republicans in upcoming elections.

Could Democrats flip Iowa from the Republicans? It’s a state Trump has won three times and Republicans have dominated for more than a decade. The last senate race the Democrats won there was Barack Obama’s victory in 2008, before he went on to win the presidential nomination. But now, overnight primary results from Iowa are leaving Democrats feeling optimistic. Justin, Sarah and Anthony break down the key races, including a well-funded, gun-owning Democratic gubernatorial candidate who is appealing to voters across party lines, versus a Republican outsider who won without Trump’s endorsement. Does this signal an end to Trump’s winning streak when it comes to picking Republican candidates? Democrats are also hoping to flip the senate, with a paralympian gold medallist who was backed by Chuck Schumer and the party establishment. We analyse how important Iowa is for the Democrats to win, and for Republicans to keep hold of. HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480…

People in this episode

Hosts: Justin Webb, Sarah Smith, Anthony Zurcher

Topics covered

  • Iowa politics
  • Democratic strategy
  • Republican candidates
  • 2024 elections
  • senate races

Keywords

  • Iowa
  • Democrats
  • Republicans
  • Trump
  • senate race
  • primary results
  • gubernatorial candidate

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Democrats, Republicans

Places: Iowa

More episodes of Americast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Americast podcast page.