PAGE COUNTY, Iowa — Polls in Iowa don't close until 8 o'clock, and as the Southwest Iowa reporter, I spent the day with voters in Clarinda — the community where I live — where many voters commented that they haven't seen the polls this busy in quite some time.
All eyes were on who has control in Congress, and who's leading the statehouse wasn't far behind. Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn are both vying for the state's top seat.
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Page County voters told me they've had to navigate the mailers, TV ads and text messages to find out which candidate best represents their interests over the personal attacks. The two are campaigning on changing the status quo in the statehouse, including an increased budget deficit, increased cost of living, high cancer rates and a water crisis.
"All the ads on television, I tried to find some facts instead of the. I mean, it's, it's embarrassing that that's what elections have come to. I still voted Republican for the governor as well. I think it's important that. I wish it all was Republicans, but that would have its own set of problems," a voter said.
This race is ultimately a test of the Republican stronghold when it comes to state politics.
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XThis story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
