Sen. Joni Ernst is under fire after a town hall attendee yelled, "People will die" due to Medicaid cuts, and Ernst responded, "We all are going to die." In the wake of this controversy, state Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, announced his run for Ernst's Senate seat.
On this Politics Day episode of River to River, political scientists Dave Peterson of Iowa State University and Evan Renfro of the University of Northern Iowa join Ben Kieffer to talk about this controversy and the latest Iowans announcing their 2026 plans, including the race to replace Gov. Kim Reynolds. Also, their thoughts on the latest developments in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
Guests:
- Evan Renfro, associate professor of political science, University of Northern Iowa
- Dave Peterson, professor of political science, Iowa State University
