New Iowa network aims for a progressive, Democratic revival
Why it matters: The launch of the Grassroots Iowa Network (GIN) reflects a growing urgency to restore the Democratic brand in the state after years of electoral losses and brand erosion.
Catch up quick: GIN was launched in May by volunteers and political veterans, including Democrats and former state Sens. Jack Hatch and Ralph Rosenberg, child policy advocate Charlie Bruner, and Iowa Democratic Party Women's Caucus chairperson Mary Weaver.
They aim to strengthen issue-based organizing — separate from the Democratic Party — and rebuild trust in progressive values.
At least 60 groups from across the state are already part of the network, including Bitches Get Stuff Done in Bondurant and the Sierra Club.
The intrigue: Although most of GIN's founders have deep Democratic roots, the group intentionally distances itself from official Democratic institutions and welcomes conservative-leaning organizations to participate in their discussions, Hatch tells Axios.
"We're not trying to create a brand for the Democrats. We're listening to all of these grassroots groups that are saying we need to focus on our local needs," Hatch said.
State of play: Iowa's red wave has gained traction for years, with Republicans holding a trifecta — control of the governor's office and majorities in both the House and Senate — since January 2017.
Republicans took control of all the state's congressional seats after the 2022 elections.
Between the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections, 93 of Iowa's 99 counties shifted more Republican.
Zoom in: State Auditor Rob Sand, a 2026 candidate for governor, is the sole remaining statewide elected Democrat.
The state party is now working to reclaim its traditional role as the first to hold contests in the presidential primary season after losing its 50-year caucus reign in the last cycle.
What they're saying: The party is like a big ocean liner, and it takes a lot to turn it around, Hatch said.
GIN organizers are not blaming Democratic Party leaders, but they also didn't want to wait for the party to reinvent itself, he said.
The other side: Democrats are so weak that they're relying on outside groups to prop up their party, Jade Cichy, a spokesperson for the Iowa GOP, tells Axios.
"No matter how many new organizations they launch, they're still out of touch with the issues Iowans care about," Cichy said.
What's next: GIN recently held an event in Monticello and plans more in-person and virtual events, with special attention to small towns, Rosenberg tells Axios.
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