COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — Iowa Democrats and Republicans made final pushes Monday ahead of the Iowa primaries. Candidates were canvassing neighborhoods and rallying volunteers in a last-minute effort to turn out voters.
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Senate candidate Rep. Josh Turek was knocking on doors in Council Bluffs.
"People are ready for change," he said to a group of volunteers.
Turek, a Council Bluffs native, is squaring off against Coralville State Sen. Zach Wahls in a contentious Democratic primary. Much of the race has focused on which candidate can win in the fall, with Iowa Democrats expressing confidence they can flip the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.
"And on having somebody that's going to actually be there and somebody that's fighting for the middle class and for the workers," Turek said.
On the Republican side, the headline-grabbing primary is for governor. Five candidates have made stops in the area, including former state legislator Brad Sherman. He and others have focused on Iowa's once top-ranked education system.
"You know, getting patriotic principles back in our schools. Creating a love for our country again," he said. "You know, we plant the seeds for that, they grow."
Rep. Randy Feenstra also mentions education in his speeches: "We've got to get back to world-class education. Being the best. That means we get rid of DEI. We teach the basics of math, science and history."
Campaigns leaned on volunteers in the final hours of the race. Council Bluffs neighbor Teena Kern says she's excited by the chance to send someone from her city to the U.S. Senate.
"A lot of times people have said once you get west of Des Moines people don't think anything exists," she said.
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