Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) hopes to soon change his title to U.S. Sen. Zach Wahls.

Conventional wisdom dictates that he will have a strong chance based on polling, reactions and support from a number of attendees listening to Wahls’ speech at Monday night’s “Iowans Over Insiders” tour event at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Marshalltown.

There were repeated and hearty “yeah” and “right on” made after Wahls’ statements critical of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the ongoing and undeclared war in Iran, political corruption in both parties, and votes by U.S. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), his prospective general election opponent, and more.

It was the first stop on Wahls’ tour in an effort to convince Democrats that he is their best choice to win against a well-funded Republican in the Nov. 3 general election. The “more” were term limits: Wahls said that, if elected, he would serve only two six-year terms.

Additionally, Wahls said he would not accept Political Action Committee (PAC) money. That puts him at odds with U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is overseeing a well-funded PAC that has contributed to Wahls’ opponent Josh Turek (D-Council Bluffs) leading up to the June 2 Democratic primary.

Wahls also said he would work to ban congressional stock trading and foreign country lobbying too. The candidate said he did agree with Trump on two points: he cited a Trump tweet critical of public equity firms buying up housing and a second critical of beef-packinghouse monopolies.

He also said he would work to find common ground with Trump if it benefited Iowans.

However, there are two big hurdles for the 34-year-old Wahls must jump to be the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate since Tom Harkin, who served six six-year terms before declining to seek a seventh.

First, Wahls must defeat a feisty challenger in Turek. The Wahls campaign claims a new GBAO Strategies poll shows him outperforming Turek against Hinson.

The company is a prominent Democratic political polling and research firm in Washington D.C.

Democrats will have an opportunity to decide who is the best candidate to beat the Republican nominee when Wahls and Turek debate. Wahls’ campaign staff said on Monday night that two debates have been scheduled: one hosted by Iowa Press on PBS May 5 and another on KCCI/Gray Media on May 14.

The Wahls campaign wants a third, but Wahls’ alleged Turek is “ducking” a third debate hosted by WHO13 and affiliates across Iowa, according to a press release issued by the campaign Tuesday.

Wahls also was critical of Turek’s vote to deputize local law enforcement to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

“That puts our immigrant neighbors at risk and makes all of us less safe,” he said Monday night.

Wahls has been endorsed by Roberto Gonzalez, a former Marshalltown Police Department officer and community activist as well as local attorney, former Marshalltown mayor and former Second Ward City Councilor Joel Greer.

“I’m proud to join Zach for the first stop of the Iowans Over Insiders tour,” Greer said in a press release following the event. “Wahls’ plan to tackle corruption in Washington and exactly what Iowa needs. It is time we put everyday Iowans first, and I’m fully behind Zach’s campaign to make that happen. He is a leader of the party in Iowa who will be an independent thinker in Washington will be and is, in my opinion, our best hope to send a Harkin-type of public servant to the U.S. Senate.”

Greer and Gonzalez also made remarks Monday night outlining their support of Wahls. Sue Cahill of Marshalltown, a current city councilor and former Democratic state representative, said in a telephone interview with the T-R that she supports Turek.

“I worked with Josh in the House of Representatives and I know what he stands for,” she said. “I want to emphasize that I will work on behalf of whomever wins the June 2 primary.”

Other Democrats interviewed by telephone prior to Monday night’s event said they were undecided.

Wayne Sawtelle, of Marshalltown, a retired Marshalltown firefighter and former Marshalltown Community School District board member who attended Monday night’s event, said he was enthusiastic after hearing Wahls’ remarks but wanted to hear Turek speak to issues.

Jim Grimmius of Marshalltown, a retired automobile salesman and active member of the local Noon Optimist Club, said he was impressed with Wahls but also wanted to hear Turek speak to issues.

If Wahls wins the June 2 primary, he will face either Hinson or Republican Jim Carlin, a former state senator. Hinson has received major endorsements from Trump, U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-New Hampton) and other national and state Republican officials.

Additionally, the winner will have a $30 million dollar “war chest” funded by PACs.

The T-R asked Wahls if he had discussed issues with the Iowa Farm Bureau and worked to find common ground.

“During my legislative service I have been to many IFB meetings in Cedar, Johnson and Muscatine counties,” he said. “We must have an ag economy that works for our state, rather than our state working for big international companies. I have talked to cattle and pork producers, corn and soybean farmers. We need a senator who can speak to these issues authoritatively. Our campaign will be issuing a major ag policy proposal in the coming weeks.”

The IFB is a major political force in the state typically favoring Republican candidates.

“We didn’t come this far to come this far,” Wahls said at the conclusion of the event. “We are going to win the Democratic nomination in June, and defeat Ashley Hinson in November and in January of next year we are going to have a senator who put Iowans over Insiders.”

The tour continued Tuesday with a stop in Iowa City. Other stops in the next seven weeks are planned throughout the state.

Wahls is married to Chloe Angyal Wahls, a journalist who earned a PhD. in journalism from Princeton University. They are the parents of Elijah Wahls, 2.

The couple owns and operates a small business. For more information, visit www.zachwahls.com.