Republican Ryan Weldon beats incumbent in Iowa House District 41 in northern Ankeny

In a close race, Republican Ryan Weldon won against Democratic incumbent Rep. Molly Buck for Iowa House District 41 in northern Ankeny.

With all precincts in Polk County reporting, Weldon, 40, had 50.3% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State's Office. Buck had 49.7% of the vote, the results show.

An earlier version of the results showed Buck ahead with all precincts counted. Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald said there were two voting machines at the final reporting precinct for the race, but one machine reported faster than another to the website, making it appear that all precincts were in.

Weldon previously served as Ankeny School Board president.

In a Des Moines Register candidate questionnaire, he said his top priority is improving the state's economy, such as new policies around property taxes for Iowans.

"Here in Iowa we’ve proven that the taxpayers, not the government, know best how to spend their hard earned money and that less government interference is better for the economy, not more," he said. "I’m committed to finding additional opportunities to improve our local economy and continue our trajectory toward prosperity."

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin. 

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Republican Ryan Weldon wins in House District 41 in northern Ankeny