Iowa Election Returns Show Rob Sand Leading Statewide Ticket
Unofficial results posted late Tuesday show Democrat Rob Sand leading in Iowa’s governor’s race. The results also show tight races for several other statewide offices, with Democratic candidates ahead in three of Iowa’s four U.S. House districts.
The election results screen used for this story was last updated at 11:41 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. At that time, 94 out of Iowa’s 99 counties had reported in statewide contests. These are election-night returns and have not been certified.
Sand, the Democratic candidate for governor, received 729,843 votes, while Republican Zach Lahn had 584,789. The Associated Press has called the race for Sand. He will take over from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who did not run for reelection.
The results showed Republican Paul Pate ahead of Democrat Ryan Peterman for secretary of state, 684,845 to 603,321. Democrat Taylor Wettach was leading Republican Chris Cournoyer for state auditor, 643,022 to 634,584.
Republican Roby Smith was leading Democrat John Norwood for state treasurer, 639,816 to 631,990. Republican Mike Naig was ahead of Democrat Chris Jones for secretary of agriculture, 675,082 to 606,819. Democrat Nate Willems was leading Republican Brenna Bird for attorney general, 656,737 to 632,391.
Iowa’s congressional races
In the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Josh Turek received 661,843 votes, while Republican Ashley Hinson had 606,708. Libertarian Thomas Laehn had 40,475. The Associated Press has called the race for Turek, flipping the seat from Republican to Democratic control. He will replace retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.
The results showed Democrats ahead in three Iowa U.S. House races: Christina Bohannan in District 1, Lindsay James in District 2, and Sarah Trone Garriott in District 3. Republican Chris McGowan was leading Democrat Dave Dawson in District 4. Because the districts had different levels of reporting, these numbers are incomplete election-night returns.
What changed in Congress
Democrats have won enough seats to take control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress. Before the election, Republicans had a narrow majority. The House outcome was still unclear in the latest Associated Press report for this story. AP said Republicans had 219 members caucusing with them before the election, just above the 218-seat majority needed.
The Iowa House results could also affect the state’s congressional delegation, but the numbers are not final. Official results will depend on completed counts and certification.
