13 Iowa races in the 2024 election we're watching
Here are 13 key races we’re watching on Iowa's Nov. 5 ballot.
The general election features several competitive races that will help decide control of the presidency, Congress and important seats in the Iowa Legislature.
Early voting begins Oct. 16.
U.S. president
Kamala Harris (D)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (We the People)
Chase Oliver (L)
Donald Trump (R)
Shiva Ayyadurai (I)
Claudia De la Cruz (Socialism and Liberation)
William P. Stodden (Socialist Party USA)
Why it matters: Trump is expected to win Iowa after easily clearing his Democratic challengers in 2016 and 2020. Neither he nor Harris (nor Democratic President Joe Biden) have visited Iowa during the general election season — a far cry from previous cycles when both parties viewed Iowa as being in play. But a September Des Moines Register Iowa Poll showed that Harris cut into Trump's lead, narrowing his margin to 4 percentage points. Democrats hope that if Harris can keep the race close, it will boost critical down-ballot races.
Voters Guide 2024: Where Harris and Trump stand on key issues
3rd Congressional District
Lanon Baccam (D)
Zach Nunn (R)
Why it matters: Iowa’s 3rd District was anticipated to be its most contested after Nunn squeaked into office with a victory of less than 1 percentage point in 2022. In a state where Republicans hold all four congressional posts, it’s perhaps Democrats’ best chance of flipping a seat. It’s got a narrower Republican voter registration advantage than other districts in the state, and it’s home to some of Iowa’s largest urban metro areas, which tend to favor Democrats. But Nunn has avoided major missteps, and Republicans remain confident in their chances.
More: What Zach Nunn and Lanon Baccam, 3rd District candidates, say on abortion, inflation, IVF
1st Congressional District
Christina Bohannan (D)
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)
Why it matters: Iowa’s 1st Congressional District could be the sleeper swing district in a state that has turned decidedly red in recent elections. Active voter registrations favor Republicans, and Miller-Meeks defeated Bohannan in 2022 by about 7 percentage points. But in this rematch, national Democrats have funneled money into the race to capitalize on what they see as Miller-Meeks’ weakness with independents and some Republicans. The limited publicly available polling of the race suggests Bohannan might have the edge.
More: Where Miller-Meeks, Bohannan stand on key issues, from abortion to the border to inflation
2nd Congressional District
Sarah Corkery (D)
Ashley Hinson (R)
Jody Puffett (I)
Why it matters: Hinson is the easy favorite in this 2nd District race where active registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by about 37% to 31%. She is well-funded and defeated a far stronger Democratic candidate in 2022 by about 8 percentage points. Most elections analysts view the race as being a “safe” win for Hinson.
More: Where 2nd District candidates Corkery, Puffett, Hinson stand on abortion, inflation and IVF
4th Congressional District
Randy Feenstra (R)
Ryan Melton (D)
Why it matters: The 4th District is Iowa’s most reliably conservative where registered Republicans far outnumber Democrats. Most of the drama in this race occurred during the primary, when Feenstra was challenged by fellow Republican Kevin Virgil, who ultimately took about 40% of the vote. Virgil has endorsed Melton in the general election. Feenstra is expected to easily carry the district. He previously defeated Melton in the 2022 general election race by about 67% to 30%.
More: Where 4th District candidates Feenstra and Melton stand on abortion, inflation & spending
Iowa House, 40th District
Bill Gustoff (R)
Heather Sievers (D)
Why it matters: Gustoff won election to this district, which includes Altoona and parts of Des Moines, by about 3 percentage points in 2022 and is now seeking a second term. Sievers, who works in health care, is seeking to flip the seat to Democratic control. As of Oct. 1, the district contained slightly more active Republican registered voters (5,905) than Democrats (5,558) and no party voters (5,377).
More: GOP incumbent Bill Gustoff faces Democrat Heather Sievers for Iowa House District 40 seat
Iowa House, 42nd District
Heather Matson (D)
Heather Stephenson (R)
Why it matters: This Ankeny-based Iowa House seat has swung back and forth between Democrats and Republicans in recent years. Matson won the seat in 2018 before narrowly losing her reelection bid in 2020 to Republican Garrett Gobble. Then, Matson defeated Gobble in 2022 by 23 votes to take back the seat. Now she faces a challenge from Stephenson. As of Oct. 1, the district had 6,605 active registered Republican voters, 5,684 active Democrats and 5,683 active no party voters.
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 42 in Ankeny
Iowa House, 43rd District
Eddie Andrews (R)
Brett Harvey Nelson (I)
Tiara Mays-Sims (D)
Why it matters: Andrews is seeking a third term representing this Johnston- and Urbandale-based district. He won his 2022 race by 2 percentage points. Mays-Sims is making her second run for the seat after unsuccessfully seeking the Democratic nomination in 2022. Republicans hold a slight voter registration advantage with 6,961 active registered voters compared with 6,300 active Democrats and 5,412 active no party voters, as of Oct. 1.
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 43 in Johnston, Urbandale, Saylorville
Iowa Senate, 14th District
Sarah Trone Garriott (D)
Mark Hanson (R)
Why it matters: Trone Garriott defeated former Iowa Senate President Jake Chapman in 2022's most expensive Iowa legislative race, becoming the only Senate Democrat to flip a Republican-held seat that year. Now, she faces Hanson, a Dallas County supervisor, in a seat where Republicans hope to put up a strong challenge. Republicans hold a voter registration advantage in the district, with 14,364 active registered voters as of Oct. 1 compared with 13,358 no party voters and 11,626 Democrats. But Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister, has a reputation as a tireless campaigner.
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa Senate District 14 in Waukee, West Des Moines, Clive
Iowa Senate, 22nd District
Matt Blake (D)
Brad Zaun (R)
Why it matters: Zaun, the president pro tempore of the Iowa Senate and chair of the Judiciary Committee, is viewed as the most vulnerable Republican senator on the ballot this year. Democrats hope Blake, a former Urbandale City Council member, can flip the seat by running against Zaun's vote for Iowa's six-week abortion ban. But Zaun has won tough races before, defeating a Democratic challenger by about 2 percentage points in 2020. As of Oct. 1, Democrats and Republicans had nearly equal numbers of active registered voters, 12,866 to 12,917 respectively, with 10,200 no party voters.
More: Meet the candidates running to represent Johnston, Urbandale in Iowa Senate District 22
Iowa Supreme Court Justice David May (vote to retain)
Yes
No
Why it matters: Justice May was appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2022, and now voters will have the chance to say whether he should remain in his seat. Since joining the court, May has aligned with some of the more conservative justices, including joining the 4-3 majority that allowed Iowa's six-week abortion ban to take effect earlier this year.
More: What to know about Iowa's November 2024 judicial retention elections
Polk County Supervisor, 2nd District
Jill Altringer (R)
John Forbes (D)
Why it matters: Altringer and Forbes are vying for a seat on the Polk County Board of Supervisors representing District 2 to replace outgoing, six-term supervisor Robert Brownell. Altringer beat out her Republican opponent Bob Start in the June primary, earning 71% of the votes. She now faces Forbes, a current representative on the Iowa State Legislature, who ran uncontested in the primaries. District 2 includes Urbandale, Johnston, Grimes, Polk City, Alleman, Sheldahl, Elkhart, Bondurant, Mitchellville and unincorporated portions of Polk County.
More: Meet the candidates running for Polk County supervisors District 2 in Urbandale, Johnston
Polk County Supervisor, 3rd District
Kim Hagemann (D)
Mark Holm (R)
Why it matters: In a June primary upset, Holm won his party's nomination for District 3, unseating the three-term incumbent Supervisor Steve Van Oort. Results from the Polk County Auditor's office show Holm secured 69% of the votes, while Van Oort got 31%. Holm and Hagemann, who was uncontested for her party's nomination, will square off to represent Altoona, Ankeny and a portion of unincorporated Polk County.
Overall, the District 2 and 3 races will bring two fresh faces to the five-person board of supervisors.
More: Meet the 2 candidates running to represent Polk County District 3 in Altoona, Ankeny
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 2024 election: 13 races in Iowa we're watching