Iowa Dem Who Hired Illegal Alien Superintendent Nearly Tied in Senate Primary, New Poll Finds
Jennie Taer
Daily Wire
October 3, 2025
The Iowa Democratic Senate candidate who hired a now-infamous illegal immigrant to be superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools is in a dead heat with her primary opponent, a new poll obtained by The Daily Wire shows.
Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris, who is now running to replace outgoing Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (R), was serving the school district when Ian Andre Roberts of Guyana was hired to lead as its superintendent.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Roberts last week after he received a deportation order from an immigration judge in May 2024 and had weapons charges from Feb. 5, 2020, the agency said.
Since then, the school district has faced backlash for its vetting of Roberts when he was hired in 2023.
A recent poll conducted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee found that Norris has 23% popularity, while candidates Zach Wahls has 24.7%, and Josh Turek has 17.6%.
Meanwhile, 74% of the Democratic voters polled supported Norris’ recent call for “radical empathy” following Roberts’ arrest. The poll also revealed that 30% of Democrats believe it’s permissible to harass elected officials and public figures with whom they disagree.
Read more here.
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