50% in the latest poll (Emerson College). The polls
Their wordsWhat does James say they will do?
8 priorities from lindsayforiowa.com, in the order they are listed there. Every heading and the text under it is copied exactly, as one passage for each page it is from, and links to that place on the page; hover a source to see which passage it opens.
8 priorities · 8 quoted statements
Too many Iowans are living pay check to pay check, making impossible choices because of their financial realities. It’s the mom making the impossible choice, do I pay my utility bill or buy my child a winter coat. The Dad, do I put food on the table for my family, or pay the rent. The daughter, do I care for my aging parent or go to work and earn a paycheck. No one should have to make these kinds of choices. DC politicians are turning a blind eye to challenges that hard working families face in our state. Instead of fighting for us, they are more concerned with their billionaire donors, and the predatory corporations that care more about their bottom line than the person behind it.
No one in the United States should have to face bankruptcy because of a healthcare emergency. No one in our country should have to ration life saving medication because of high costs and deductibles, or travel hundreds of miles to receive quality care. As Iowa cancer rates increase and rural healthcare faces incredible financial strain, we need urgent policy changes.
Washington is riddled with corruption and greed. Our system of government has been rigged for billionaires and large corporations which seek only to expand their bottom line. Money in politics has led to toxic partisanship which seeks to divide us, distract us, and to keep us down. In order to create a healthier system, we have to get money out of politics.
As a mother, I want my children and community to always be safe. But what is happening in America today is not making our communities safer. Congress has clearly failed on both immigration reform, and gun safety reform. We need new leadership who will move common sense policies forward to make sure that our country is safe and free.
As a working mom of two teenagers, I know what parents and kids are going through and it’s tough. Our kids are dealing with an education system that has been systemically underfunded, and Iowa is dealing with a Private School Voucher scheme designed to benefit the most fortunate amongst us. Education is the ultimate equalizer in our country. The government should make sure it stays that way. To fuel American innovation, our public education system must be robust, challenging, and state of the art. Congress has failed and we are letting our kids fall behind countries around the world.
Iowa wouldn’t be Iowa without our farmers. I will always stand with the farmers— the stewards of our land, the hands that feed the people of the world, and the legacy of our state. Iowa farmers have had to fight through economic downturns, unpredictable markets, and rising costs. Our farmers cannot wait another decade to pass a new farm bill. They need leaders who will stand with them in the fight for their markets and their pocket books.
With the rise of social media and AI – it’s never been scarier to be a parent. I consistently hear from parents at PTO meetings or on the campaign trail who are worried about keeping their kids safe and healthy. I understand and I am too. It's time for Congress to put control of kids screens back in the hands of parents, not big tech.
Veterans deserve to be able to build the life they know they deserve when they return home. But with the cost of living crisis, rising healthcare costs, and lack of affordable housing, they are forced to make impossible decisions. It's time to stand alongside our veterans and remove the barriers in their way.
MoneyWho pays for the campaign, and where does it go?
Raised
$3.9M
$3,917,994
Spent
$3.7M
$3,652,041
Cash on hand
$266K
$265,953
FEC filings, Jul 1, 2025 to Oct 14, 2026 · Official FEC bulk data · committee C00916452 ↗
Raised, spent and cash over time by FEC report
93¢ of every dollar raised has been spent across 7 reports ($3.7M of $3.9M). Cash on hand went from $226.3K on Sep 30, 2025 to $266K on Oct 14, 2026.
Raised in the period
Spent in the period
Cash on hand at its close
$1M$2M
Sep ’25
Dec ’25
Mar ’26
May ’26
Jun ’26
Sep ’26
Oct ’26
Raised, spent and cash on hand by FEC report
Report
Raised in the period
Spent in the period
Cash on hand at its close
OCTOBER QUARTERLY 2025 through Sep 30, 2025
$273,649
$47,349
$226,300
YEAR-END 2025 through Dec 31, 2025
$180,679
$104,532
$302,447
APRIL QUARTERLY 2026 through Mar 31, 2026
$288,009
$156,116
$434,340
PRE-PRIMARY 2026 through May 13, 2026
$130,277
$325,392
$239,225
JULY QUARTERLY 2026 through Jun 30, 2026
$755,587
$238,974
$755,838
OCTOBER QUARTERLY 2026 through Sep 30, 2026
$1,895,879
$1,975,308
$676,409
PRE-GENERAL 2026 through Oct 14, 2026
$393,914
$804,370
$265,953
Each report’s own period, as filed with the FEC; a report filed again counts once, as its latest copy.
Where the money came from $3,917,994 reported receipts
Itemized (over $200)Donors who have given more than $200 this cycle, so the FEC itemizes (names) them.$2,862,45573%
Largest donors
Lorilee Hamel4 contributions, latest Mar 23, 2026 · NOT EMPLOYED · DUBUQUE, IA$8,000
Bob Ward3 contributions, latest Jun 22, 2026 · NOT EMPLOYED · URBANDALE, IA$7,500
Joseph Alsop2 contributions, latest Jun 24, 2026 · VENTURE PARTNER · ALSOP LOUIE PARTNERS · BEVERLY, MA$7,000
Allison Archer2 contributions, latest Mar 27, 2026 · NOT EMPLOYED · LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL$7,000
John Brennan2 contributions, latest Mar 27, 2026 · NOT EMPLOYED · DUBUQUE, IA$7,000
Roxanne B. Conlin2 contributions, latest Mar 11, 2026 · ATTORNEY · SELF · DES MOINES, IA$7,000
Robert A. Dennison2 contributions, latest Feb 26, 2026 · ATTORNEY, INSURANCE EXEC · SELF/AUSTIN RICK MANAGEMENT, LTD · AUSTIN, TX$7,000
Bonnie Drenkow
EndorsementsWho does James’ campaign say backs them?
69 endorsers listed on Lindsay James’ own campaign site: 29 officials, 15 unions, 25 organizations.
This is the campaign's claim, checked by an editor against its page; the endorsers have not confirmed it to us. Each name opens the campaign’s page with that name highlighted.
Every contest for this seat that named this candidate, most recent last; a result is shown once the race is called. Election dates and results from civicAPI (civicapi.org). civicAPI aggregates results from Secretaries of State and equivalent election bodies, and makes its own race calls. civicapi.org ↗
Sara Gottesman2 contributions, latest Sep 16, 2025 · SELF · NEW YORK, NY$7,000
James Hale3 contributions, latest Jun 30, 2026 · CEO · LADDER LIFE · MENLO PARK, CA$7,000
A donor who gave several times appears once. The 12 largest donors by total given are listed. In all, 1,831 itemized contributions were filed this cycle, totaling $1.2M.
Unitemized ($200 or less)Donors who have given $200 or less this cycle, so the FEC does not itemize (name) them.$537,63214%
PACs and other committeesPolitical action committees and other candidates' committees. Corporations and unions cannot give directly.$477,40512%
The 12 largest committees by total given are listed. In all, 165 committee contributions were filed this cycle, totaling $432.9K. Counted from the givers' own filings, which can run above the total the campaign itself reports.
TransfersMoney moved in from the candidate's other authorized committees, such as a joint fundraising committee.$21,2900.5%
Money moved in from the candidate’s other authorized committees, such as a joint fundraising committee. It was raised once and is reported again here on arrival. The largest of the sources is listed. In all, 1 transfer was filed this cycle, totaling $7.4K.
Party committeesNational, state, and local committees of a political party.$17,5570.4%
Refunds and rebatesMoney coming back to the campaign: rebates and refunds of what it spent.$776<0.1%
Other receiptsInterest, dividends and other income the committee files on a line of its own.$758<0.1%
The candidateMoney the candidate gave their own campaign.$120<0.1%
Total reported receipts $3,917,994
Every dollar the committee reported receiving this cycle, split by the source the FEC filing attributes it to. Open a source marked + to see who gave. FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026.
Who donated: where they live, their employers and jobs
Where the donors live $1,232,873 placed by state
Loading the map
Tap or hover over a state, or focus the map and use the arrow keys, to read its total. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll to zoom.
under $21.9K
$21.9K+
$87.6K+
$197.2K+
$350.5K+
none
Outlined: Iowa, home state
Home state and away
Iowa 44%IA 44%Elsewhere 56%
44% of the money placed by state came from inside Iowa: $547.7K of $1.2M.
Top states
Top donor states
Name
Amount
Iowa home1,089 contributions · 44%
$547,714
California262 contributions · 24%
$296,832
New York92 contributions · 7%
$85,781
Massachusetts63 contributions · 3.7%
$46,098
Washington53 contributions · 3%
$37,484
District of Columbia47 contributions · 2.2%
$26,954
Texas13 contributions · 2%
$25,000
Oregon16 contributions · 1.6%
$19,575
By the state each donor wrote on the filing, across 40 states and territories. Donors who have given $200 or less this cycle are not itemized, so they cannot be placed on a map. The FEC’s grouping also counts joint-fundraising memo lines, so these rows can add up to more than the itemized total.
Donors’ employers as filed
Donors’ employers
Employer as filed
Amount
Not employedWritten instead of an employer · 720 contributions · 30% of ranked
$350,747
RetiredWritten instead of an employer · 151 contributions · 13% of ranked
$154,912
NO Employer146 contributions · 12% of ranked
$142,731
Self-employedWritten instead of an employer · 146 contributions · 10% of ranked
$122,422
Advantage Administrators5 contributions · 1.2% of ranked
$14,000
Reynolds & Kenline5 contributions · 0.9% of ranked
$10,500
Medical Associates7 contributions · 0.8% of ranked
$9,250
John Deere5 contributions · 0.8% of ranked
$9,000
A further $13,993 came from donors whose answer names no employer (None, blank), so it is not ranked. Ranked from the largest 200 of 201 employer spellings filed; each share is of the money in those. Itemized gifts over $200, grouped by the words donors filed: not an industry classification, and a gift from an employee is not a gift from the employer. The FEC’s grouping also counts joint-fundraising memo lines, so these rows can add up to more than the itemized total. Gifts of $200 or less ($537,632) are not itemized, so no employer or occupation is filed for them.
Outside spending $11,379,703 across this race
Money groups spent on their own, not through a campaign. Each ad is filed against the candidate it names, so money attacking an opponent shows on the opponent’s row. Open a candidate to see who spent it.
Support and oppose are each group’s own labels, not a judgment made here.
$5,169,455 of the race total was filed about other candidates, so it would not show on James’ own record.
Independent expenditures (Schedule E) only. Electioneering communications and corporate or union member communications file separately; they are counted for Jamesunder “Other outside spending” in the full finance detail, but not for the rest of the field, so every other row is a floor.
What the payments were for $1,639,285 itemized
The campaign also refunded $16,089 in contributions, which the categories below do not include.
Advertising and mediaBroadcast, digital, and print advertising, and the media buying behind it.$999,95861%
Filed as
MEDIA BUY$735,593
DIGITAL ADVERTISEMENT$242,369
VIDEO AND AUDIO PRODUCTION AND EDITING$15,172
VIDEO SHOOT PRODUCATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSES$4,324
VIDEO PRODUCTION$2,500
Paid to
Bluewest Media$735,593
GPS Impact$232,173
Village Square LLC$19,496
Missionwired$12,000
Google$490
Facebook$207
Payroll and staffSalaries, wages, benefits, and payroll services.$189,15012%
Filed as
SALARY$156,961
SALARY AND HEALTHCARE STIPEND$20,773
HEALTH INSURANCE$8,519
PAYROLL PROCESSING$1,897
PAYROLL FOR CAMPAIGN FELLOWS$1,000
Paid to
Pierson, Isabelle$37,146
Smith, Jackson$30,707
Lund, Carolena$24,533
Lund, Carolena R$21,465
Reed, RAE$19,648
Eichenbaum, Emma$11,331
Printing, mail, and shippingPrinted literature, direct mail, postage, design, and delivery.$108,0596.6%
Filed as
DIRECT MAIL$56,893
POSTAGE$14,377
MAIL PRODUCTION AND POSTAGE$12,331
DIRECT MAIL PRODUCTION$12,240
PRINTING-TEE SHIRTS$2,062
PALM CARD PRINTING AND DESIGN$2,000
PRINTING - YARD SIGNS AND WIRES$1,925
CARD/ENVELOPE PRINTING AND DESIGN$1,529
REMIT PRINTING AND DESIGN$1,400
PRINTING/POSTCARDS$840
PRINTING/PLACARD SIGNS$530
PRINTING - LAPEL STICKERS$431
Paid to
JM2$85,513
EMILYs List$13,670
Raygun$2,062
Sign Rocket$1,925
United State Postal Service$1,882
Carter Printing Co.$1,549
Digital and technologyWebsites, hosting, software subscriptions, databases, email, and texting platforms.$73,2424.5%
Filed as
DATABASE SOFTWARE$44,507
IN-KIND: TECHNOLOGY SERVICES$10,500
TEXTING$4,863
VOTER DATABASE ACCESS$4,448
WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT$2,300
EMAIL$2,254
COMPUTER AND TECHNOLOGY PURCHASE$2,216
TEXT MESSAGING SERVICES$626
VOTER DATABASE SOFTWARE$552
WEBSITE HOSTING$400
SOFTWARE$250
REIMBURSEMENT/SUBSCRIPTION/DETAIL BELOW IF ITEMIZED$226
Paid to
NGP VAN$22,254
Everyaction, Inc$22,254
Iowa Democratic Party$5,000
Switchboard$3,553
Saccheri, Anna$3,500
Saccheri, Chris$3,500
Taxes, fees, and bank chargesPayroll and income taxes, filing fees, bank and merchant processing charges.$72,5294.4%
Filed as
EMPLOYEE PAYROLL TAXES$47,779
EMPLOYER PAYROLL TAXES$19,428
EVENT RENTAL FEE AND CATERING$3,764
SMS PLATFORM FEES$1,292
BANK FEE$183
PAYROLL PROCESSING FEE$83
Paid to
Future Systems$67,290
Convivium Hospitality$3,764
VAN Ness Creative Strategies LLC$1,292
Midwestone Bank$183
Consulting and strategyStrategic, political, legal, and compliance consulting, and campaign management.$65,4264%
Filed as
COMPLIANCE CONSULTING$22,012
DIGITAL CONSULTING$20,600
CAMPAIGN ORGANIZING CONSULTING$12,000
GENERAL CAMPAIGN CONSULTING$4,275
DIGITAL EMAIL CONSULTING$2,500
CONSULTANT TRAVEL EXPENSES$2,039
COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING$2,000
Paid to
Jennifer Fiihr Consulting LLC$26,287
Evergreen Strategies, LLC$13,100
ASH, Ryan$12,000
VAN Ness Creative Strategies LLC$10,000
Nelson, Timothy$2,000
Village Square LLC$1,744
Card paymentsPaid to a card processor with no itemisation filed beneath it, so the purchases behind it are not on the record.$49,7223%
Filed as
CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEES$49,051
CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEE$671
Paid to
ActBlue$40,993
Oath$7,312
Paragon$728
Democracy Engine LLC$517
Jstreetpac$172
Polling and researchSurveys, opposition research, voter file work, and analytics.$25,5001.6%
Filed as
RESEARCH$25,500
Paid to
MBPR Corp$20,000
Public Policy Polling$5,500
TravelAirfare, lodging, mileage, and ground transport.$18,2111.1%
Filed as
AIRFARE$7,268
MILEAGE$4,460
LODGING$3,927
TRAVEL$2,248
REIMBURSEMENT/TRAVEL/DETAIL BELOW IF ITEMIZED$209
TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT/DETAIL BELOW IF ITEMIZED$100
Paid to
American Airlines$4,105
United Airlines$3,162
Lund, Carolena$2,391
Hilton$1,913
Square One Politics$1,755
HOTELS.COM$1,594
Fundraising and eventsThe cost of raising money: finance consultants, donor list rental and acquisition, event venues, catering, and donor processing.$17,1521%
Filed as
LIST ACQUISITION$15,584
EVENT REFRESHMENTS$563
EVENT INVITATIONS AND POSTAGE$356
PIZZA FOR EVENT$250
EVENT SPACE RENTAL/PULPIT ROCK BREWING COMPANY$250
SPEAKER AND MIC RENTAL FOR EVENT$75
FUNDRAISING SERVICES$50
EVENT REFRESHMENTS - ICE CREAM$24
Paid to
VAN Ness Creative Strategies LLC$10,000
Grassroots Analytics, Inc.$3,450
Hockeystick LLC$1,072
Fraiser$1,062
Slappey, Elizabeth$520
Sam's Club$392
OtherPayments whose filed description does not match any category above. Every one is listed so it can be read directly.$10,1890.6%
Filed as
DIGITAL COPYWRITING, PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY$5,400
TEE SHIRTS$1,270
MOVING EXPENSE$1,000
CAR RENTAL$546
PHOTO SHOOT EXPENSES$431
VIDEO CONFERENCING$342
VENDOR COMMISSION$322
REIMBURSEMENT/MOVING EXPENSES/DETAIL BELOW IT ITEMIZED$275
MERCHANDISE$150
TEX DELIVERY$105
REIMBURSEMENT/CAR RENTAL/DETAIL BELOW IF ITEMIZED$102
UTILIITES$91
Paid to
Evergreen Strategies, LLC$5,505
Raygun$1,420
U-Haul$1,000
Avis$546
JM2$431
Zoom$342
Office and administrativeRent, utilities, phones, supplies, equipment, security, food, and campaign merchandise.$9,8970.6%
Filed as
OFFICE RENT$2,750
INSURANCE$2,004
PHOTOGRAPHY$1,800
SECURITY DEPOSIT$1,300
PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION$1,200
OFFICE SUPPLIES$730
REIMBURSEMENT/OFFICE SUPPLIES/DETAIL BELOW IT ITEMIZED$113
Paid to
Black Gloves, LLC$4,050
Acuity Insurance$2,004
JM2$1,800
Kohlhaas, Kelly J$1,200
Staples$386
Amazon$344
Refunds and redesignationsContributions returned to donors or reassigned to another election.$250<0.1%
Filed as
CONTRIBUTION REFUND TO COMMITTEE$250
Paid to
Iowa People's PAC$250
Total itemized disbursements $1,639,285
Every itemized payment the committee reported this cycle, sorted by what it said each one was for. The categories are ours; the wording they are matched against is the committee’s own. Open a category to read the filed descriptions and who was paid. FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026.
All 462 itemized payments filed this cycle. Spending below the itemization threshold is not filed line by line.
18 payments were reported as a lump sum, such as a card or payroll bill, with the detail filed underneath as memo entries. Those entries, $36,502 in all, are counted under the payee and purpose they name rather than under the processor that was paid. The total is the same either way.
Largest vendors
Largest vendors
Name
Amount
Bluewest Media5 payments · 20% of all spending
$735,593
GPS Impact9 payments · 6.4% of all spending
$232,173
JM212 payments · 2.4% of all spending
$88,039
Future Systems66 payments · 1.9% of all spending
$69,187
Pierson, Isabelle22 payments · 1.2% of all spending
$44,695
ActBlue65 payments · 1.1% of all spending
$40,993
Smith, Jackson8 payments · 0.8% of all spending
$30,707
Lund, Carolena13 payments · 0.7% of all spending
$27,026
The people, firms and committees paid the most, across every kind of payment. Each share is of everything the committee reported spending this cycle, not only the itemized payments above. A payee that is itself a committee links to its own profile.
Donors’ occupations as filed
Donors’ occupations
Occupation as filed
Amount
Not employedWritten instead of an occupation · 719 contributions · 29% of ranked
$348,947
RetiredWritten instead of an occupation · 157 contributions · 12% of ranked
$149,104
NO Employer146 contributions · 12% of ranked
$142,731
Attorney70 contributions · 4.8% of ranked
$57,550
Consultant42 contributions · 1.6% of ranked
$18,967
Professor28 contributions · 1.4% of ranked
$16,385
CEO10 contributions · 1.2% of ranked
$14,243
Self-employedWritten instead of an occupation · 14 contributions · 1.1% of ranked
$12,883
A further $5,416 came from donors whose answer names no occupation (blank), so it is not ranked. Ranked from the largest 200 of 201 occupation spellings filed; each share is of the money in those. Itemized gifts over $200, grouped by the words donors filed: not an industry classification, and a gift from an employee is not a gift from the employer. The FEC’s grouping also counts joint-fundraising memo lines, so these rows can add up to more than the itemized total. Gifts of $200 or less ($537,632) are not itemized, so no employer or occupation is filed for them.
HMP▼ Opposes20 records, latest Oct 25, 2026$2,966,729
AB PAC▼ Opposes20 records, latest Oct 14, 2026$785,780
