Author, Speaker & Featured Guest
SARAH LONGWELL
Kenyon College, 2002
Sarah Longwell is the President and CEO of Longwell Partners, a full-service communications firm in Washington, D.C. Sarah is a Co-Founder of the organization Defending Democracy Together and president of Republican Accountability PAC. Notable past projects are Republican Voters Against Trump and Republicans for the Rule of Law. She is also the Publisher of The Bulwark and host of The Focus Group Podcast.
Longwell has spent years conducting in-depth research with voters across the political spectrum - and she has been unequivocal about the stakes. She focuses her work on swing voters, including current and former Trump voters, and uses her findings to create compelling communications campaigns.
In addition to The Bulwark, Longwell's work has been featured on PBS NewsHour, CNN, MSNBC, and in The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Atlantic.
Iowa Senate Candidate (District 17)
GRACE VAN CLEAVE
Kenyon College, 2004
Grace Van Cleave is running for Iowa Senate District 17 on a platform rooted in the real concerns of everyday Iowans - from economic opportunity and public education to healthcare access and the protection of civil rights.
For more than 20 years, Grace worked as a finance professional and political researcher for Democratic candidates and issue organizations across the country. She has helped elect governors, launch a startup presidential campaign, and worked on behalf of causes rooted in fairness, opportunity, and accountability. From Washington, D.C. to five different states—including right here in Iowa—Grace learned how campaigns succeed, how coalitions are built, and how governing majorities are sustained.
She brings the same sharp thinking and principled commitment developed over two decades helping build Democratic organizations and coalitions to the work of building a new Democratic majority in Iowa.
What the Heck is Happening in Iowa?
You've seen the headlines.
“Democrats Might Actually Win Iowa”
“The Democrat Making Republicans Nervous in Iowa”
“Iowa’s 2026 Elections are Nationally Watched”
Change is definitely in the air in 2026.
But what exactly is going on in Iowa?
Two college classmates share a candid conversation about what's happening on the ground as Iowa re-enters the national political conversation. Join national pundit SARAH LONGWELL of The Bulwark, a former Republican who’s been taking it to Trump for a decade, for the insider’s look at how the Republicans have seriously weakened their brand in Iowa and across the Midwest, in an intimate discussion with her Kenyon College classmate and longtime Democratic organization professional GRACE VAN CLEAVE.
Our discussion will be led by a distinguished Guest Moderator, Iowa State Representative JENNIFER KONFRST (D-Windsor Heights) who served as Democratic Leader in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2021-2025 and is Associate Dean and Professor of Public Relations and Strategic Political Communication in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake University in Des Moines.
VIP ACCESS: Grace's Book Club
Join us for a special Intimate Q&A with Sarah Longwell
Want to go beyond the main event? Unlock an exclusive, extended Q&A session with Sarah — a smaller, more personal conversation where your questions actually get answered.
To qualify, simply:
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Contribute $100 toward the Zoom event
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Pre-order Sarah's new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time
That's it. Both steps unlock your spot in the room. This is a rare chance to go deeper with one of the sharpest voices in American politics — don't miss it.