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Zach Lahn

Hardwood11 said:
So here’s an interesting comparison… AI this report … 7th & 18th & 25th ranking for Iowa’s economic rank for growth, opportunity & affordability.

Now look in the bottom corner and the Iowa Democrats say it ranks 50th ?? Hmm.. a little fake news by the Dems.View attachment 131467
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It's against my better judgement but I'm not letting this go unchallenged. It's at best incomplete info. If you copied and pasted from some thumb nail it's misinformation.

First the three ranking you cite are about three different subjects from three different sources.

Economic outlook by The American Legislative Exchange Council. A staunchly conservative organization.

Affordability by US News and World Report. Mostly viewed as Center leaning left.

The little blob is the Dems promoting an updated report from the Iowa Legislature that analyzes data from the nonpartisan Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia that finds that Iowa is dead last in the country for economic growth.
The report combines four state-level indicators to determine rank; nonfarm payroll employment, average hours worked in manufacturing, the unemployment rate and wage and salary disbursements deflated by the Consumer Price Index.
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/IET/615760.pdf Funny the link to that report no longer works.....

Here is the copy and paste of what I just got from Google AI asking "Iowa economic growth ranking"

AI Overview


Iowa ranks among the lowest in the U.S. for long-term economic and GDP growth, though it shows middle-of-the-pack performance in general economic outlook and affordability.
Here are the specific, localized metrics and rankings:

Economic Growth & Activity Rankings
  • GDP Growth: Trailing 5-year data from IBISWorld ranks Iowa's overall economic output growth 50th in the nation. Similarly, reports from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia previously placed the state at or near the bottom for economic activity.
  • State Economy: A multi-indicator review by WalletHub evaluating economic health, activity, and innovation potential places Iowa among the weakest performing state economies in the country.
  • Business Growth: Net business creation per capita has shown growth over the last decade, but the state still ranks 46th nationally in that specific metric.

Economic Outlook & Quality of Life
  • Future Outlook: The forward-looking Economic Outlook index by Rich States, Poor States places Iowa 25th in the country.
  • Affordability: Evaluating factors like cost of living and household income, U.S. News & World Report ranks Iowa 7th for affordability.
  • Employment: The annualized job growth rate over a five-year period sits at 1.5% (ranking 32nd overall), with the state holding a 3.8% unemployment rate. [1, 2, 3]
 
As far as Lahn goes I have to say I don't understand why non of the others in the primary attacked him for his Kansas. Maybe I missed it but I don't remember hearing much about it. I'm seeing a ton about it now along with his ties to the Kochs and his "sextech" investment.
 
AI search on affordability…
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Hardwood11 said:
Iowa GDP per capita was ranked #21 by several websites. It’s a flat out “fake news” that Iowa is ranked #50 overall.
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It's fake news the IOWA LEGISLATURE put out a report using data compiled by the FED? LOL OK. Which party controls state government?

GDP per capita and economic growth are not the same. High GDP per capita in a relatively low population state can be misleading.....
 
mplane72 said:
I'm out after this.

Instead of telling me what the Republican party says you'd be better served to show me the study they're basing this claim on. Then I can look at what the "Common Sense Institute" has to say. I can also look into their background and funding and draw my own conclusions.
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You can’t be ranked 50th in the economy… & be top 10 in affordability, & top 25 in GDP per capita… there’s no way ?

Des Moines is top 3 fastest growing metro areas in the Midwest.
 
West Virginia is the poorest state in the nation. Iowa 50th. No way. Dallas County is in the top 5 as the fastest growing counties in the nation. Stop. More Democrat crap to get their lefty in. If that happens it will be disastrous
 
After the 2020 Census, Dallas County was widely reported as the 4th-fastest-growing county in the United States among counties of its size.

Most recently, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2025 estimates show Dallas County as the fastest-growing county in the Midwest, adding nearly 18,000 residents since 2020.

- Population in 2010: about 66,000
* Population in 2020: about 100,000
* Population in 2025 estimate: about 118,500

That’s roughly a 79% increase since 2010, which is extraordinary for a Midwestern county.

Yes, there’s a couple qualifiers there ie “ fastest growing of its size” and “ fastest in the mid west”. Still it’s up there for economic growth.

Using recent U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data for 2025, the slowest-growing state economies were approximately:

1. North Dakota — about 0.3% GDP growth
2. Wyoming
3. West Virginia
4. Alaska
5. Louisiana

If you’re talking about income, poverty, education, and economic opportunity combined, the states most often found at the bottom are:

1. Mississippi
2. West Virginia
3. Louisiana
4. Arkansas
5. New Mexico

If you combine income, poverty, unemployment, affordability, and quality-of-life measures, Iowa is usually considered an upper-middle-tier state economically, often landing around 15th–20th overall.
 
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