
Trump Refiles Poll Lawsuit in Iowa State Court
Trump drops federal case and refiles in state court, alleging pollster’s “election interference” over 2024 Iowa poll.
Trump Pursues Legal Action in State Court Over Iowa Poll
President Donald Trump has reignited his legal campaign against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register, dismissing his federal lawsuit and re-filing the case in Iowa state court. The legal action, which also includes Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former Iowa State Senator Bradley Zaun as plaintiffs, targets what Trump calls “brazen election interference” connected to Selzer’s final 2024 Iowa presidential poll.
The notice of dismissal was filed “without prejudice” in the Southern District of Iowa federal court, enabling Trump’s legal team to proceed anew in Polk County District Court. The lawsuit had originally been filed in that county in December but was moved to federal court at the request of the defendants. Trump’s legal team had sought to return the case to state court in May, but the request was denied by a federal judge. Now, the plaintiffs have voluntarily dropped the federal case and restarted litigation at the state level.
An attorney for the president confirmed that the suit remains “very much alive,” emphasizing that only the federal case has been dismissed. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), representing Selzer, said no settlement has been reached. “This maneuver was not in response to any settlement and is a transparent attempt to avoid federal court review of the president’s transparently frivolous claims,” said FIRE chief counsel Bob Corn-Revere. “Whatever court ultimately reviews this matter, FIRE will defend J. Ann Selzer’s First Amendment rights, and we remain confident the courts will see through this sham lawsuit.”
Legal Strategies and Election Integrity Debate
Lark-Marie Anton, spokesperson for the Des Moines Register, was sharply critical of Trump’s tactics, claiming he is seeking to “avoid the inevitable outcome” of dismissal in federal court. “President Trump is attempting to unilaterally dismiss his lawsuit from federal court and re-file it in Iowa state court,” Anton said, describing the move as an effort to sidestep an expected defeat.
The lawsuit claims that Selzer and the Des Moines Register engaged in intentional election interference by publishing a final poll showing then-Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by three points in Iowa just days before the 2024 election. The complaint alleges that the poll, published on November 2, 2024, was “no ‘miss’ but rather an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election,” asserting it was intended to create a “false narrative of inevitability” for Harris in the final week of the campaign.
Selzer’s poll had a major impact, as her previous polling had been widely regarded as accurate and had received considerable media attention. The poll indicated a seven-point swing toward Harris since September, when Trump led by four points in the same poll. Ultimately, however, Trump won Iowa by more than 13 percentage points.
Following the election, Selzer announced in an op-ed for the Des Moines Register that she was retiring from election polling and pursuing other ventures.
Case Moves Forward Amid Ongoing Debate
The refiling comes just ahead of a new Iowa law designed to prevent baseless lawsuits—an “anti-SLAPP” statute—taking effect. Legal representatives for both Selzer and the Des Moines Register have pledged to vigorously defend their clients’ First Amendment rights, insisting the case lacks merit.
The outcome of the case, now set to play out in Iowa’s courts, will test the boundaries of legal accountability for polling and media coverage in high-stakes elections, as well as the enduring tensions over election integrity in the United States.