A Democrat Senate candidate, looking to court the votes of working and middle-class families in Iowa, held a campaign event at a Leftist bookstore that once promoted a 14-year-old “drag queen” and routinely stocks sexually explicit books parents don’t want their kids to access at school.  Zach Wahls, running for the seat currently held by Senator Joni Ernst, hosted an event at the Ames-based Dog-Eared Books, a bookstore that remains a haven for leftist ideology. The bookstore has promoted “Drag Queen Story Hour” for children and called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  At the event, Wahls and his wife, romance novelist Chloe Angyal, discussed “the art of storytelling, the demands of public service, and the intersection of writing and advocacy.” They also discussed how their “parallel careers as authors have shaped their approach to politics, family, and the urgent work of building a better Iowa.”  While Wahls has portrayed himself as a moderate seeking to work across partisan lines, Dog-Eared Books was a fitting venue for the Senate hopeful. Wahls has a documented history of advocating for leftist politics, though he pledges to “always put Iowa families first, no matter what.” In September 2021, Dog-Eared Books promoted a teenage boy “drag performer” who goes by the stage name Lonika LaBelle Knight. “Lonika is a 14 years old drag queen with almost three years of experience under her belt. She nabbed the title of Miss Mason City Youth Pride and performs regularly at Lefty’s Live Music and The Garden Nightclub,” the bookstore posted on Instagram. “She can dance, twirl and capture the attention of everyone in a room with sass and class!” That same performer returned in June 2023 for “a drag storytime” aimed at children. The bookstore posted on Instagram that the event would “feature movement activities alongside a picture book reading so kids can engage both their minds and bodies.” Dog-Eared Books/Instagram. Dog-Eared Books has hosted a “Tattoos for Palestine” fundraiser, maintains a “Books for Fighting Fascism” list that includes a book by leftist Senator Bernie Sanders, called for ICE to be abolished, and has a “You Can’t Read That At School” book selection. That section includes books like “Let’s Talk About It,” a graphic novel that contains explicit depictions of sex.  The bookstore also released a statement slamming Iowa Republicans when they voted to pass a law shielding kids from transgender procedures. It also raised over $3,000 for the Iowa Trans Mutual Fund, a group that provides grants to Iowans seeking “gender-affirming care.”  As a state senator, Wahls has vehemently opposed laws aimed at protecting kids from transgender surgeries and cross-sex hormonal procedures. He claimed that there was “blood on the hands” of Iowa Republicans who supported the law. His opposition was based on questionable evidence that claimed children would be more likely to commit suicide if they weren’t given transgender procedures.  Wahls, who rose to prominence after discussing his experience of being raised by a lesbian couple, has close connections to One Iowa, an activist group “rooted in intersectional advocacy for LGBTQ Iowans.” Wahls toured with the group to promote gay marriage back in 2012 and even presented an award to them. One Iowa offers to help gender-confused kids access cross-sex hormones from out-of-state providers and schedule surgeries outside of Iowa. The group pushes girls to find breast binders to compress their chest so that it looks more masculine and other gender-confused kids to pursue “voice therapy.” The radical organization praised Wahls for opposing male participation in female sports.  Despite his links to the far-Left, Wahls’ campaign website portrays him as a moderate focused on cutting costs and combatting political corruption. Wahls claims to support securing the border by hiring thousands more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges, and wants to ensure “secure” elections. He also says he wants to “restore abortion access,” pass paid family and medical leave, and a path to “legal status” for illegal aliens “who’ve been here for years, are working, and haven’t committed crimes.”