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Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US Sen. Joni Ernst hires Iowa native as campaign manager to run 2026 reelection effort
Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst has hired a campaign manager to run her reelection operation as Iowa's 2026 Senate race heats up. Ernst, who is serving her second term, has not formally announced a reelection campaign, but the hire is a clear signal that she's building an operation to run for a third term. Bryan Kraber will lead Ernst's reelection bid as campaign manager, Ernst announced Wednesday, June 4, in a news release. Kraber has worked for more than a decade in Iowa politics, including for Ernst's 2020 campaign. "I'm thrilled to have Bryan Kraber leading my re-election campaign," Ernst said in a statement. "A native Iowan, Bryan knows our state, he knows how to win, and he's ready to hit the ground running. His experience, energy and grit will be an incredible asset as we fight for Iowans in the U.S. Senate." In a statement, Kraber called Ernst "a tireless advocate for Iowans and a leader I deeply respect." "I'm honored to lead her campaign, and I'm ready to get to work to ensure a big win in 2026 — so she can continue to fight for Iowa's farmers, families and veterans and make Washington squeal," he said. Ernst has faced several days of national scrutiny over comments she made about Medicaid at a town hall in Parkersburg last week. As Ernst was answering a question about the proposed Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump's tax package, an audience member shouted, "people will die!" Ernst replied by saying, "People are not — well, we all are going to die. For heaven's sakes, folks." Ernst later posted a sarcastic apology video on Instagram. Ernst has already drawn two Democratic challengers, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce director Nathan Sage and state Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City. State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, and state Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, have also previously said they are considering running. One Republican challenger, Joshua Smith, has announced a campaign against Ernst for the GOP nomination. Ernst recently announced that her annual Roast and Ride fundraiser — which she used to formally announce her 2020 reelection bid — will be held Oct. 11. Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@ or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ernst hires campaign manager to run 2026 US Senate reelection bid
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Iowa Democrat launches challenge of Sen. Joni Ernst in campaign focused on working class
Iowa Democrat launches challenge of Sen. Joni Ernst in campaign focused on working class Show Caption Hide Caption How does the Electoral College work? Here's what to know How does a candidate become president? It's through a voting process called Electoral College. Here's how it works. Nathan Sage, executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, has announced he is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat focused on improving the lives of working-class Iowans. He is the first Iowa Democrat to formally launch a campaign for the seat, although others have floated the possibility. Sage, 40, is hoping to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who is up for reelection next November. Ernst told reporters in 2024 she intends to seek a third term, but she has not formally launched a reelection campaign. Sage told the Des Moines Register in an interview that observing and living out the struggles of the working class has motivated him to enter politics. 'My dad worked double shifts in his factory job and did all he could to support us,' he said. 'And sometimes we went without birthday presents. Sometimes we found other ways to entertain ourselves or whatever. But I know the struggle. I know the struggle of small businesses. I know how hard it is to be a working-class person and just to survive.' Sage said he grew up in a trailer park in Mason City with his dad, who was a U.S. Air Force veteran and factory worker, and his mom, who worked as a daycare teacher and later became a certified nursing assistant. Both of his parents later died of cancer, he said. 'I wasn't the best student, because all I really cared about was trying to play sports,' Sage said. 'But I knew that for me, the way to be somebody or do something was to join the military. So I joined the Marine Corps in 2003.' Rising to the rank of corporal, he served two deployments to Iraq. Sage said he worked as a mechanic for a while after returning home but missed enlisted life. So he joined the U.S. Army, serving from 2008 until 2013. Later, Sage studied journalism and mass communication at Kansas State University through the benefits he received through the GI Bill. He said he worked nights as a screen printer to support his family while attending school. After graduating, he moved to Knoxville where he worked in radio, serving as a news director and sports director. Through that work, he said he helped small businesses develop radio ads and came to know some of their struggles. Today, he's the executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce where he said he's continuing to work with 'mom and pop' businesses. He lives in Indianola with his wife, Amanda Sutherland-Sage, and their two daughters. Sage said he plans to run a campaign focused on making life easier for the working class through better pay, better health care and making life more affordable. 'These are the people that made this country and continue to make this country,' he said. But few of the nation's current representatives in Congress come from the working class, he said, depriving people of true representation that serves their needs. He's hoping to change that. 'I think a lot of people are just underrepresented,' he said. 'And that's what I'm working for, is to work for the working class and the people that make Iowa run.' Sage criticized Ernst's leadership in the Senate, saying she votes along party lines rather than acting in the best interests of Iowans. 'I think that she's served her party,' he said. 'She's served billionaires and she's served corporations. I don't think she's served Iowans really at all. And she is a veteran, just like I am, but I don't think she's served veterans very well.' He said he opposed her vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and he's opposed the mass firings at the the Department of Veterans Affairs that have been executed by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. But, should she run, Ernst would be expected to enter the race with a significant advantage in terms of campaign infrastructure, financing and the sheer power of incumbency. Nonpartisan elections analysts at the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball say Iowa's U.S. Senate race is a safe Republican seat. And Sage would likely need to make it through a competitive Democratic primary cycle as well. A trio of state legislators — State Sen. Zach Wahls, state Rep. J.D. Scholten and state Rep. Josh Turek — previously told the Des Moines Register they all are considering running for the U.S. Senate. 'We're going to be working night and day to make sure that we have people that are interested in hearing my story and understanding what we're trying to do,' Sage said. 'And I think who I am and the story that we have will speak for itself and help generate some donations and some money coming in that way.' He said he plans to hit the ground running. 'Hopefully the message comes across that Nathan Sage is a candidate that actually listens to us, and he's from the working class just like us, and he knows what we're going through, and he knows what we need to do to make things better,' he said. '… I want to be the Democratic candidate that brings people back to the Democratic Party.' Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR. This story was updated to add a video.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Knoxville Chamber lists building for sale for $7.5M
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knoxville Chamber of Commerce listed their Market Square office for sale at $7.5 million. 6 News previously reported that the chamber planned to move out of the office and find a new location, and now the 19,775 square-foot property at 17 Market Square is officially listed for sale. The chamber's office has been in Market Square since 2004. Singer from Seymour wins golden ticket on American Idol, performs at Grand Ole Opry 'Now is your chance to own property in the heart of Knoxville, surrounded by shops, dining, and a bustling atmosphere that fosters growth and collaboration,' the chamber posted on Monday. The chamber's mission is to drive economic prosperity across the region, and their board of directors is composed of community and business leaders. The chair is Dave Miller, Chief Operating Officer for Regional Banking at First Horizon Bank. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
