����vlog

IN THE FULL FORECAST. TODAY I’M ANNOUNCING THAT I’M RUNNING FOR THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO REPRESENT IOWA’S THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING, IOWA’S HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JENNIFER CONFERCE, IS NOW IN THE RACE FOR IOWA’S THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. ����vlog WAS THE FIRST TO LEARN COME FIRST WANTS TO TAKE ON REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT ZACH NUNN IN THE 2026 ELECTION. IT’S EXPECTED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE CONGRESSIONAL RACES IN THE COUNTRY. CONFERCE WILL FIRST FACE STATE SENATOR SARAH GARRETT IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. SHE ANNOUNCED HER CAMPAIGN FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT SEAT ON MONDAY. ����vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER SAT DOWN WITH CONFERS TO TALK ABOUT WHY. TALK ABOUT WHAT? AND WHY SHE’S SETTING HER SIGHTS ON WASHINGTON. CONFERCE SAYS SHE’S HOPING TO FLIP THIS CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. THE THIRD DISTRICT COVERS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA. IT ALSO INCLUDES THE CITIES OF DES MOINES, WEST DES MOINES, WINTERSET AND OTTUMWA. CONFERCE TELLS ME SHE MADE THIS DECISION ON INAUGURATION DAY WHEN DONALD TRUMP BEGAN HIS SECOND TERM AS PRESIDENT. NOW SHE WANTS TO USE HER EXPERIENCE AT THE STATEHOUSE TO MAKE CHANGE IN WASHINGTON. PEOPLE WANT SOMEONE WHO’S GOING TO GO STAND UP. AND THAT’S WHAT I’VE SHOWN THAT I CAN DO TIME AND TIME AGAIN. JENNIFER CARNFORTH IS A WIFE AND A MOTHER OF TWO, A DRAKE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR AND A STATE REPRESENTATIVE. WILL WE WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE LIFE BETTER? OR WILL DIVISION RULE THE DAY? SHE SPENT MOST OF HER LIFE LIVING IN IOWA’S THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. NOW SHE WANTS TO REPRESENT IT IN WASHINGTON. I KNOW THESE FOLKS. THESE ARE MY PEOPLE, AND I’M NOT GOING TO FORGET THEM. IN HER FIRST ELECTION IN 2018, COGGON FIRST FLIPPED A REPUBLICAN HELD DISTRICT. SHE SERVED SEVEN YEARS IN THE IOWA LEGISLATURE, INCLUDING AS HOUSE MINORITY LEADER. YOU’VE LED YOUR CAUCUS THROUGH SOME TOUGH ELECTION CYCLES. DEMOCRATS HAVE ACTUALLY LOST GROUND IN THE IOWA HOUSE. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO QUESTION WHETHER THAT TRACK RECORD PUTS YOU IN THE BEST POSITION TO BE THE CANDIDATE TO FLIP THIS CONGRESSIONAL SEAT? THE ADVERSITY THAT WE’VE GONE THROUGH, THE FIGHTS WE’VE DONE IN THE LEGISLATURE HAVE SHOWN ME THAT EVEN WHEN IT’S HARD, YOU GOT TO STAND UP, YOU GOT TO FIGHT, AND YOU GOT TO GET BACK UP AND GO AGAIN. CONOVER SAYS CONCERNS LIKE POTENTIAL CUTS TO SOCIAL SECURITY, LAYOFFS AT THE VA AND FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZES HAVE MADE EVERYDAY LIFE MORE STRESSFUL FOR IOWANS. THAT KIND OF UNCERTAINTY IS SIMPLY UNSUSTAINABLE. SHE SAYS SHE WANTS TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE ECONOMY AND CUTTING THROUGH WHAT SHE CALLS CHAOS IN WASHINGTON TO MAKE EVERYDAY LIFE MORE MANAGEABLE. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE PEOPLE A LITTLE MORE CERTAINTY, A LITTLE MORE, A LITTLE MORE CALM, AND ALSO BRING BACK AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL IOWANS AND GO OUT THERE AND FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THAT. COM FIRST WILL FIRST HAVE TO FACE A FELLOW DEMOCRAT, STATE SENATOR SARAH GARRETT, IN THE 2026 PRIMARY. IT’S NEVER FUN TO HAVE A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK IT’S FAIR TO SAY WE’RE BOTH LASER FOCUSED ON BEATING ZACH NUNN AND LETTING THE VOTERS DECIDE WHICH OF WHICH ONE OF US SHOULD DO THAT. OF COURSE I THINK IT’S ME. BUT I THINK IF WE FOCUS ON ZACH NUNN, WE’RE WE’RE DOING THE RIGHT THING. REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT ZACH NUNN IS EXPECTED TO RUN FOR REELECTION, BUT HAS NOT OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN. HE WAS INITIALLY CONSIDERING A RUN FOR GOVERNOR, BUT RULED THAT OUT IN A RADIO INTERVIEW LAST WEEK. THANK YOU, AMANDA, FOR THAT BREAKING NEWS. WE'