ABBY FINKENAUER

Iowa Democrats had high hopes earlier in the campaign season of unseating seven-term Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, but they seem to be fading.

Former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer is facing a tougher-than-expected Democratic U.S. Senate primary in a state that has become more of a GOP stronghold in the last decade.

June's primary calendar kicks off Tuesday with seven states holding contests. One local race to watch: LA mayor.

Democrat Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral, will face Republican Chuck Grassley in the race for an Iowa U.S. Senate seat, winning his party nomination over two competitors.

Primary elections in seven states Tuesday will set the stage for U.S. House and Senate battles this fall that will play into control of Congress.

Abby Finkenauer’s bid to clinch the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in Iowa wasn’t supposed to be so fraught.

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that Democratic Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer qualifies for the primary ballot, rejecting a lower court decision and allowing her to continue her campaign for the nomination.

The senator's statement is the latest signal that the GOP is abandoning its long-running effort to scrap Obamacare.

Iowa Democrat Abby Finkenauer’s hopes of running against Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley this fall may hinge on a state Supreme Court ruling on three petition signatures.

Some of Finkenauer's signatures on petition to qualify for ballot were successfully challenged by Republicans.

Some of Finkenauer's signatures on petition to qualify for ballot were successfully challenged by Republicans.

A state court judge has concluded that Democrat Abby Finkenauer cannot appear on the June 7 primary ballot for U.S. Senate because she didn’t gather enough petition signatures, knocking off the candidate considered by many to be the party’s best chance to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley.

A state court judge has concluded that Democrat Abby Finkenauer cannot appear on the June 7 primary ballot for U.S. Senate, knocking off the candidate considered by many to be the party's best chance to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley. Judge Scott Beattie, a 2018 appointee of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, filed a ruling late Sunday that overturned a decision by a three-member panel of state elected officials. The panel concluded last week that Finkenauer's campaign staffers had substantially complied with Iowa law that requires candidates to obtain 3,500 names, including at least 100 signatures from at least 19 counties.

Senator Chuck Grassley was first elected to the Senate in 1980.

Iowa Democrat Abby Finkenauer is running for Republican Chuck Grassley’s U.S. Senate seat.

Democrat Abby Finkenauer, a former congresswoman, is running for Republican Chuck Grassley's U.S. Senate seat, hoping her blue-collar credentials will propel her forward in a state that has grown more conservative over the years. The 32-year-old former state lawmaker, who announced her candidacy by video Thursday morning, would offer a stark contrast to the 87-year-old Grassley, who was elected to his first term in the Senate eight years before Finkenauer was born. “I’m running ... to make sure that Iowans and, quite frankly, our country has someone sitting in the United States Senate representing them and working for them every day who actually understand working families,” Finkenauer told The Associated Press in an interview before the video release.

There are signs of Democratic fatigue in Iowa, a state viewed for decades as a true political battleground.

President-elect Joe Biden is eyeing several Democrats who lost congressional reelection races last month for key positions in his administration. President-elect Joe Biden is eyeing several Democrats who lost congressional reelection races last month for key positions in his administration. Their consideration continues a long Washington tradition of defeated politicians seeking shelter in a new White House. A decade later, he headlined a rally for her winning congressional campaign. “More than helping the president, these people can help the White House staff dealing with members of Congress,” said Card.

"It's the Trump factor," Nearmyer said about how Democrats lost House seats. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)MONROE, Iowa – This swath of southeast Iowa isn't supposed to be a nailbiter for Democrats. Instead, it appears Democrats made a serious miscalculation in assuming their antipathy toward Trump would fuel victories across the country. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which supports the party's House candidates, is beginning a “deep dive” examination into what happened. Voters for months watched Republican ads featuring unrest with narrators ominously attacking Democrats as anti-police, often with little response.

Biden voters overwhelming say they want the federal government to prioritize limiting the spread of the virus, even if that means further damage to the economy. About half of Trump voters also called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, while only 1 in 10 Biden voters named it most important. On race and justice issues, Biden voters almost universally said racism is a serious problem in U.S. society and in policing. But only a slim majority of Trump voters, who are overwhelming white, called racism a serious problem. Results in high-turnout counties underscore that trend: Republican-leaning places became more Republican and Democratic areas more Democratic.

Biden voters overwhelming say they want the federal government to prioritize limiting the spread of the virus, even if that means further damage to the economy. About half of Trump voters also called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, while only 1 in 10 Biden voters named it most important. On race and justice issues, Biden voters almost universally said racism is a serious problem in U.S. society and in policing. But only a slim majority of Trump voters, who are overwhelming white, called racism a serious problem. Results in high-turnout counties underscore that trend: Republican-leaning places became more Republican and Democratic areas more Democratic.

With the race unsettled in several key battlegrounds, Trump's strong Election Day surge may not be enough to overcome a Democratic operation that also turned out its vote. But the tight presidential races and unexpected Democratic losses in congressional races demonstrated the resilient power of Trump’s appeal with rural, white voters and a growing polarization that may outlast his leadership. “But in this election we found it’s not ticking fast enough for the Democrats.”Even as the winner of the White House was unclear, Republicans had victories to celebrate Wednesday and white, rural voters to thank. Trump held one of his final, largest campaign rallies in Butler, drawing an estimated 54,000 people two days before Election Day. State Republicans spent months signing up new GOP registrants in the county — the GOP netted 11,000 voters over Democrats since Trump's 2016 election.

“They were all wrong," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters about Democrats' assumptions of adding to their House numbers. She declared that Democrats had won the House majority, which seemed highly likely but hadn’t been officially determined by The Associated Press. Democrats lost a majority Hispanic district in West Texas they expected to win after the GOP incumbent retired. In a district between Austin and San Antonio, freshman GOP Rep. Chip Roy withstood a challenge from Democrat Wendy Davis. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and the three other members of the so-called squad of young progressive women of color were easily reelected.

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2019 file photo, Rep Abigail Spanberger D-Va., left, and Rep Elaine Luria. D-Va., walk at the Capitol in Washington. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has decided to endorse 23 freshmen House Democrats in this falls elections. The move represents a gesture of bipartisanship by the nation's largest business organization, which has long leaned strongly toward Republicans. Scott Applewhite)

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has decided to endorse 23 freshmen House Democrats in this falls elections. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has decided to endorse 23 freshmen House Democrats in this fall's elections, a bipartisan move by an organization that has long leaned strongly toward Republicans. The country's largest business group is also endorsing 29 freshmen House Republicans, said a person familiar with the organization's decision who described the actions. Even so, the decision has prompted internal divisions, with some state chamber officials criticizing the national group's decision to back freshmen Democrats in their areas. Chad Warmington, president of the Oklahoma state chamber, opposed the expected endorsement of Horn, who was narrowly elected in 2018 to a district centered on Oklahoma City.

More Republican women than ever are seeking House seats this year after the 2018 election further diminished their limited ranks in Congress. The next test comes Tuesday in states such as Indiana, where Republican Rep. Susan Brooks one of 13 Republican women in the House is retiring. Republican women have always had a tougher time winning office. Groups that back GOP women have nowhere near the resources of organizations such as EMILYs List, which has existed much longer and has been a game changer for Democratic women. Hinson is running in the district represented by Democratic Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who is seeking a second term, and Miller-Meeks is seeking a seat vacated by Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack.

Citing its direct payments for immigrant workers in the U.S. illegally and other asinine provisions, the House Republican campaign arm all but promised attack ads. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll this month found 61% of suburban voters disapprove of Trump, little changed over three years. Garcia represents a nod toward diversity for the overwhelmingly white House GOP. Republicans have sought more female candidates, too, hoping to improve an embarrassing look: Just 13 of the 198 House Republicans are women, and two are retiring. All 53 remaining House Democrats in seats the GOP targeted last year, mostly from Trump-won districts and freshmen, have outraised their Republican challengers.