The two candidates running to be Iowa’s attorney general disagree on regulation of nursing homes and election fraud prosecutions. Attorney General Brenna Bird, a Republican, and Democrat Nate Willems, a labor lawyer from Mount Vernon, made their only joint appearance of the election season on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS. Bird says she and Willems differ on election integrity issues.
Willems says one case of voter fraud is one too many, but he questioned Bird’s record on prosecuting election fraud.
In four election fraud cases, juries found the defendants not guilty. Last week a Montgomery County jury acquitted a southwest Iowa man accused of election misconduct.
Bird says there is no acceptable amount of cheating in an election. Willems and Bird also sparred over Biden-era regulations on nursing home staffing levels.
The candidates covered other topics during the half hour. Both said they’d be ready to enforce the state’s agreement over incentives for a company based in India that plans to build a steel plant in southeast Iowa. Bird and Willems also agreed it was important for the state to continue pursuing cases against social media companies that are harming children.
