For more than four decades, Charlie Cook has been one of the country’s most trusted interpreters of American elections. He founded the nonpartisan Cook Political Report in 1984 and helped make its race ratings an essential resource for journalists, candidates, donors and political professionals. On August 1, 2021, Cook transferred ownership and leadership of the publication to longtime colleague Amy Walter, who became its owner, publisher and editor-in-chief. Cook remains a contributor to what is now called The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. The Cook Political Report That history made his recent conversation with members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative particularly newsworthy. Cook believes the 2026 election is developing according to the familiar midterm pattern: Democrats are highly motivated, Republicans are less energized, and independent voters are moving away from the president’s party. He did not predict an extraordinary Democratic wave. Instead, he explained why a favorable national climate can produce Democratic gains without automatically turning reliably Republican states blue. And, he often gives his predictions plenty of wiggle room incase the results land elsewhere. Iowa, however, may be behaving differently. Cook said the state is showing more signs of political movement than almost anywhere else. He predicted that Democrat Rob Sand would probably win the open governor’s race, while placing the chances of a Democratic victory in the U.S. Senate race at roughly one in four. His distinction is important: dissatisfied Republicans may cross party lines in a governor’s race, but in a federal contest they are more likely to stay home or skip the race than vote for a Democrat. The conversation is worth hearing for much more than its predictions. Cook explains why most self-described independents are actually dependable partisans, why candidate quality still matters, why immigration may energize the bases without moving many swing voters, and why reputable polling is better than its current reputation. He also speaks candidly about the decline of Congress, the future of Iowa’s caucuses and the danger both parties face when their primaries produce candidates poorly suited to the voters they must win. At a time when political analysis is often reduced to cheering, outrage and wishful thinking, Cook offers something considerably more valuable: perspective. His weekly column is available on Substack Charlie Cook. Harkin is a regularly featured speaker in central Iowa through the Harkin Institute. Monday’s Podcast Guests We’re splitting Monday’s podcast hour down the middle to bring you two topics readers of this column adore: Iowa politics and the Iowa State Fair. First, the race for Iowa lieutenant governor. Laura Belin has broken story after story about the Republican candidate’s financial issues. She’ll join us to explain what she has uncovered—and why it matters. Then we’ll turn to the Iowa State Fair. Connie Taylor has been steeped in every aspect of the annual extravaganza. We’ll hear what she’s most looking forward to this year and learn what goes into the fair’s many competitions—the contests that bring out rolling pins, treasured recipes and competitive bakers from river to river. Subscribers receive the podcast Zoom link on Monday morning. Join the call. Ask questions. Engage. OKOBOJI RETREAT ADDS THREE NEW SPEAKERS Dana Kennedy, Kaitlyn Busbee and Kelly Crull expand instruction in Substack, filmmaking and children’s publishing OKOBOJI, Iowa — July 25, 2026 — The sixth annual Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat has added three speakers to its 2026 faculty: marketing and communications professional Dana Kennedy, award-winning filmmaker Kaitlyn T. Busbee and award-winning children’s book author Kelly Crull. The additions broaden the retreat’s hands-on instruction in three areas of growing interest to writers: building an audience on Substack, moving stories from the page to the screen, and navigating the children’s publishing process. The retreat will be held September 27–30 in the Iowa Great Lakes region and is expected to bring together approximately 300 participants and more than 60 speakers from Iowa and across the country. We look closely at the feedback participants submit before the retreat and determined there is a broader interest in the topics these speakers offer, and we were fortunate enough to add them to our list of over 60 speakers. Dana Kennedy is a marketing and communications professional with more than 30 years of experience in brand messaging, copywriting and integrated campaigns. She manages Story Summit’s Substack publication, teaches beginner and intermediate Substack classes, facilitates its monthly Substack Forum and provides individual coaching. At Okoboji, Kennedy will help writers understand how Substack can support their creative and professional goals, build stronger connections with readers and create momentum for publications that have stalled. Kaitlyn T. Busbee is a former Iowan, New York-trained and Chicago-based filmmaker whose character-driven work spans narrative and documentary film. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she received the Martin Scorsese Scholarship and the 2023 ARRI Volker Bahnemann Award for Outstanding Cinematography. Her forthcoming thesis film, Jarfly, is executive produced by Spike Lee. Busbee’s Okoboji session, “Following Curiosity: From Observation to Page to Screen,” will explore how lived experience, observation and creative constraints can become the foundation for compelling screenplays and visual storytelling. .kaitlynbusbee.com/about Kelly Crull is a Des Moines children’s book author, photographer and educator whose seven books include titles published by National Geographic Kids and Lerner Publishing Group. His work has earned national honors and recognition from the American Library Association, National Council of Teachers of English, National Science Teaching Association, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Sierra Club and Science Friday. Crull will demystify how children’s books move from idea and manuscript to acquisition, design, publication and marketing, and will offer guidance on finding the right editors and agents. https://kellycrull.com Okoboji For information about the retreat, faculty and registration, visit okobojiwritersretreat.com. Who’s Coming? Check out our growing roster, then join us. We have participants joining us from all over the country. The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roundup Sign up for a compilation of columns by this extraordinary roster of professional writers: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit okobojiwriters.substack.com/subscribe
