The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa has honored Bleeding Heartland with its 2025 Partner Organization award, “in recognition of your significant commitment to keep Iowans informed with a vital free press, an essential part of a strong democracy.”

Only one other media outlet has received this award from the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa: The Storm Lake Times and its Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Art Cullen in 2019.

The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 organization that describes itself as “the only statewide, non-partisan, progressive voice for people of faith and no faith protecting religious freedom, safeguarding the line between religion and government, ensuring religion is not misused to discriminate, championing individual rights, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism.”

Running against a sitting office-holder from your own party is always an uphill battle. Many Iowa House or Senate members have faced primary challengers during the past decade, but only a handful have failed to win their party’s nomination.

Christina Bohannan beat the odds on June 2, taking 66 percent of the vote against 20-year State Representative Vicki Lensing in Iowa’s most Democratic House district.

No one can write off the outcome as a fluke of a low-turnout environment. Statewide turnout set a new record for an Iowa primary, and voter participation in Johnson County was sky-high as well. Unofficial results showed 6,687 residents of House district 85 cast ballots for either Bohannan or Lensing.

Bohannan’s win and in particular the margin of victory should put every Iowa legislator on notice: you have to keep earning your constituents’ support.

Five Democrats are now competing for the chance to take on U.S. Senator Joni Ernst next November. After making low-key appearances at Democratic events around Iowa for about six months, Cal Woods made his candidacy official on December 17.

Assuming all five candidates file nominating petitions in March, the crowded field increases the chance that no one will win the nomination outright in the June 3 primary.

Democrats around the country had a lot to celebrate last night, including a “tidal wave” in Virginia, total control of state government in New Jersey, a vote to expand Medicaid in Maine, and a special election that gave the party a majority in the Washington State Senate. Voting rights may be expanded soon in several states, Ari Berman wrote today at Mother Jones.

Many progressive Democrats scored victories in Iowa’s non-partisan local elections as well.