Democrats seek to narrow losses in rural Iowa ahead of election

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 18 Oct, 13:31 · Archive

Some former Trump supporters in rural Iowa are becoming disillusioned, giving Democrats hope of narrowing their losses in the midterm battleground.

Dave Roethler, a 70-year-old school custodian in New Hampton, Iowa, is a former Donald Trump supporter now planning to vote Democratic. Standing near corn and soybean fields in northeast Iowa, Roethler said Trump did a 'heck of a good job' during his first presidency but has become disillusioned with the current administration.

Roethler believes 'it's the middle-class families that are taking the big hit' while Trump is 'going to come out way ahead'. He criticises the president's efforts to win accolades including the Nobel Peace Prize or a place on Mount Rushmore, saying 'I think he has delusions of grandeur'.

Iowa has become a midterm battleground after Trump carried it by 13 percentage points two years ago. Chickasaw County, where Roethler lives, was once a Democratic stronghold but swung sharply right during the Trump era. Democrats face a steep challenge in rural communities but hope to become competitive by narrowing their losses across rural areas from Iowa and Kansas to Nebraska and Ohio. Josh Turek, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa, said his party has 'looked at this math problem incorrectly' and must 'go out there in these rural counties and trim the margins'.

How it is being reported

• Trump dominated rural America. Iowa is testing whether Democrats can win them backDave Roethler is a former Donald Trump supporter in Iowa who feels disillusioned about the economy and believes middle-class families are suffering while the president benefits.Clickorlando · 18 Oct, 13:07
• Trump dominated rural America. Iowa is testing whether Democrats can win them backDave Roethler is a former Donald Trump supporter in Iowa who feels disillusioned about the economy and believes middle-class families are suffering while the president benefits.News4Jax · 18 Oct, 13:07

In this story: Dave Roethler · Donald Trump · Josh Turek · Iowa · Chickasaw County

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem