The latest episode of The Map Room is out on Old Bull TV! This week, Eric Cunningham (@decunningham2), Jared Stone (@JStonePolitics), and Nick Morris (@TossupReport) discuss Iowa, the Hawkeye State. Iowa is historically one of the most competitive states in the country: no presidential candidate has won more than 54% of the vote there since Richard Nixon in 1972, and its prestigious placement as the first primary state has awarded it a storied status in American politics.
In recent years, however, Iowa has seen a shift to the Republican Party, culminating in Donald Trump’s impressive 9.5 point margin of victory in 2016. Even in the 2018 wave elections, Democrats failed to win the gubernatorial race or either house of the legislature. Although it was widely assumed to Lean Republican in 2020, recent polling has indicated it may be closer than previously though; in our most recent ratings, Elections Daily moved the state to Tossup in the presidential race.
As always, a wide variety of election maps help show some of the major shifts that have occurring in Iowa. Eric, Nick, Jared explain the state’s stark urban-rural divide, the contrast between the strongly Republican 4th congressional district and the competitive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd districts, the ancestral Democratic strength in the Driftless Area, and much more! You don’t want to miss this in-depth guide on one of the most elastic swing states in the country.
You can find the full episode of The Map Room on YouTube below. If you prefer, you can also listen to it in audio form at Apple Podcasts, PodBay, or PodBean. You can find a full list of episodes at oldbull.tv. Be sure to subscribe to Old Bull TV so you can catch the show each week, and if you liked it be sure to like the episode on YouTube and give it a five-star review wherever you get your podcasts!
