There Goes Iowa
On Monday, former President Donald Trump won the Iowa Caucuses by a roughly 30-point margin. But Iowa Democrat and One Country Project board member J.D. Scholten tells host Heidi Heitkamp in this episode of the Hot Dish that he’s actually underperforming for an incumbent candidate.
“If he’s running as an ‘incumbent,’ 50 percent is nothing to brag about. It should be over 80 percent, you know?”
Scholten tells Heidi about his run-in with canvassers for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and how he thinks Democrats can drive rural swing voters to the Democratic Party. Later, a young Virginia farmer explains why he decided to move back home after college to start his own farm.
But first, host Joel Heitkamp gives us a look inside his childhood and how he sees the Democratic Party today.
To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website.
Join the One Country Project for the fourth annual Rural Progress Summit, July 8–10. The keynote will feature a virtual fireside chat between Sec. Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.
The Rural Progress Summit is a virtual event that brings together voices from across the country to explore ideas and solutions that address the real needs of rural America.
Go to OneCountryProject.org to learn more or https://pdcst.news/RPS2025 to register for the Rural Progress Summit.
Creators and Guests

Host
Heidi Heitkamp
U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp served as the first female senator elected from North Dakota from 2013 – 2019. he is the founder and Chair of the One Country Project, an organization focused on addressing the needs and concerns of rural America. Heidi was recently named the Director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, a university she has long been committed to and a place where she enjoys engaging with students over civic discussions while encouraging them to seek opportunities in public service to our country. Heidi also serves as a contributor to both CNBC and ABC News.

Host
Joel Heitkamp
He is an multi-award winning talk show host both regionally and nationally. Before radio, he served in the North Dakota Senate from 1995-2008.
