Gov. Terry Branstad’s political shot at U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Waterloo, may have inadvertently winged GOP ally, U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, as well. The five-term GOP governor told reporters at his weekly news conference Monday that he was confident Iowa Republicans are going to find “a really good candidate” to seek the U.S. Senate [...]

  U.S. Rep. Steve King plans to be on the ballot in 2014, but hasn’t decided whether he’ll be seeking re-election or an open U.S. Senate seat. “I wish I knew the answer,” the western Iowa Republican said Thursday morning. “When I make up my mind, when I come to that conclusion, I will be [...]

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan plan to expand background checks for gun buyers, dealing a sharp blow to President Barack Obama’s campaign to curb gun violence after the Newtown school massacre. Despite emotional pleas from families of victims of the Newtown, Connecticut, shootings and broad public support nationwide, the [...]

U.S. Senate hopeful Rep. Bruce Braley has raised $1.07 million and has more than $1 million cash on hand, according to his campaign. Most of that — nearly $857,000 — came from his 2014 Senate committee, according to a campaign report the Braley for Iowa campaign committee will file with the Federal Election Commission. Also, [...]

Don’t scratch Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds’ name from the Republican list of possible candidates for Iowa’s U.S. Senate race in 2014, regardless of what GOP operative Doug Gross might say. Gross — a former top aide to Gov. Terry Branstad, party leader and candidate for governor in 2002 – expressed skepticism to a statewide television [...]

Former Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum has cancelled two scheduled stops in Des Moines today. The former Pennsylvania senator was hospitalized this weekend for a gastrointestinal illness and dehydration. Santorum won the Iowa Caucus in 2012, and has hinted at running as a candidate in the 2016 presidential election. Santorum was scheduled to attend a [...]

Forget the obvious choices. The Iowa Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 won’t be Rep. Steve King, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds or state Secretary of Ag Bill Northey, according to a top Iowa GOP operative. Doug Gross, a former top aide to Gov. Terry Branstad, party leader and candidate for governor in 2002, [...]

More than a quarter of a million Iowans will qualify for health care tax credits starting next year as part of the Affordable Care Act, according to a report released Thursday by a Washington-based health care advocacy group. The law, commonly known as “Obamacare,” will make credits available starting in January 2014 that are intended [...]

Margaret Thatcher, the “Iron Lady”, was a towering figure in British 20th century politics, a grocer’s daughter with a steely resolve who was loved and loathed in equal measure as she crushed the unions and privatized vast swathes of industry. She died on Monday, aged 87, after suffering a stroke. During her life in politics [...]

Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said the race to replace Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin would be an “uphill battle” for any Republican who runs. King, who has more than a decade in Congress, made the comment during a taping Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program Friday, where he was peppered with questions about [...]