Editorial: What Ohio tells Iowa

Ohio voters reminded us Tuesday that progressive issues win with voters when Democrats can’t. The Buckeye State held a special election in the vacation days of August to raise the threshold from a simple majority to a 60% super-majority for amending the state constitution. The vote was considered a test for November, when an amendment will be on the ballot protecting access to abortions.

A solid majority (56%) rejected the effort to raise the threshold. Turnout was strong. Often, progressives and young voters sit out midterms and special elections like this one. The tally indicates that the abortion protections will pass in November. (An amendment also is on the ballot to legalize marijuana, which also is likely to pass.)

Yet, Ohio is a red state much like Iowa. Or Kansas, where voters protected abortion access. In Iowa, the people cannot call for an amendment on the ballot — it is done by two successive votes of the legislature, which is solidly controlled by Republicans. When Iowans do get the chance to vote directly on issues, they are not predictable. They passed by a wide margin a fractional sales tax for clean water, and by a similar margin recently approved an amendment with stronger gun rights. Knowing Iowa, we can reconcile those two positions: we value natural resources and understand the threat, and we are suspicious of attempts by anyone to limit our freedoms.

The point being that Ohio and Iowa used to be swing states with two strong parties. Now Iowa is run entirely by the GOP after having voted for Barack Obama twice. In Ohio, Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has a huge target on his back. He probably will win despite the Democratic brand, which is almost unmarketable beyond the city limits.

Iowa is a one-party state because of a messaging problem and a leadership problem. Party leaders are begging President Biden to visit after dumping on our caucuses. The best Iowa can do is to get Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the state fair. Candidates in rural Iowa get no support. The brand is so badly damaged that you can line up with voters on nearly every issue that really matters and still lose by 20 points in the Fourth Congressional District. It was not always so. We are old enough to remember Berkley Bedell. He attracted pro-life voters by not insulting them and talking down to them. Much like Tom Harkin. They went fishing and shot guns and liked meat. Bedell was a lay Methodist minister. You could not out-Christian him. He and Harkin were popular for their work strengthening the farm bill and working for veterans and keeping an ear on Main Street concerns. They knew the courthouse faithful. They got support from the party in Washington, D.C. They took their message to Sioux Center: Hey, we’re Iowans just like you. Lifting those percentages by a couple points in Northwest Iowa was just enough to keep two parties competitive statewide. That was then. There’s only one party now. Abortion is not on the ballot here. It has been outlawed in the absence of opposition.