Face it: the Iowa Democratic Party is irrelevant. Beyond losing national influence due to the demise of the Iowa Caucuses, Iowa Democrats have almost zero power to affect public policy at the state level.

In case you disagree, here’s a quick reminder:

— All six of Iowa’s members of Congress are Republican.

— Only one Democrat holds statewide office, Auditor Rob Sand, who barely won re-election in 2022 against a little-known, poorly-funded opponent.

— Democrats in the Iowa House dropped from 47 seats six years ago to 33 today. In the Iowa Senate, Democrats hold a mere 15 seats, down from 19 seats six years ago.

— Democrats account for 29.2% of registered voters, down from 34.5% in 2008 when Democrats held the state government trifecta.

Anybody want to argue that this isn’t the very definition of irrelevance? I’m up for that argument. If the Democratic Party doesn’t undergo a radical transformation, permanent minority-party status is practically guaranteed.

But there is a path back to relevance, one that could lead to parity with Republicans by the end of the decade, and perhaps even majority party status in the years to come. Continue Reading →