The Democrats in the state are out trying to recruit new folks to run for office in 2018. At a Progress Iowa fundraiser on Tuesday night, Representative Mark Smith of Marshalltown, who is the Minority leader in the Iowa House, told those gathered that it’s time to step up to the plate.

With Republicans currently holding more seats in both the House and the Senate, Senate Minority Leader Janet Peterson of Des Moines told the crowd that some painful policies will be passed in 2018 as the result of that Republican majority.