Iowa Talking Points — State of the Race with Dave Nagle & David Oman

October 31, 2024

Dave Nagle, David Oman

Dave Nagle — Former U.S. Congressman, Democratic Strategist; David Oman — Republican Strategist, Former Iowa Governor's Chief of Staff

Dave Nagle served as a U.S. Congressman representing Iowa's 3rd congressional district from 1987 to 1993 and has remained one of Iowa's most prominent Democratic voices for decades. A lawyer and political commentator, Nagle is known for his sharp wit, deep knowledge of Iowa politics, and willingness to engage honestly across party lines. He has appeared on Iowa Talking Points multiple times including the DNC Review in August 2024.

David Oman is one of Iowa's most respected Republican strategists and political veterans, having served as Chief of Staff to Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. A longtime fixture in Iowa Republican politics, Oman has been involved in numerous presidential campaigns and Iowa political races and brings decades of experience in government, campaigns, and public affairs to his commentary.

Just five days before the November 5th election, Jeff Stein and Rob Mudd hosted one of Iowa Talking Points' most distinctive and genuinely bipartisan episodes — bringing together Democrat Dave Nagle and Republican David Oman for a State of the Race conversation at Mudd Studio 5 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. With the presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris entering its final days, two of Iowa's most experienced political strategists — one from each party — sat down to offer their honest assessments of where the race stood, what each campaign needed to do to win, and what the results might mean for Iowa and the country.

The pairing of Nagle and Oman — longtime fixtures in Iowa Democratic and Republican politics respectively — gave this episode a rare quality of genuine cross-party dialogue, with two credible voices offering honest perspectives without the partisan point-scoring that dominates most pre-election coverage. One of Iowa Talking Points' most balanced and intellectually honest episodes and a fitting penultimate entry in the show's 2024 election coverage.