Iowa held its general election on November 4, 2014, deciding 125 legislative seats and 7 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Iowa stayed divided. Senate Democrats held their 26-24 majority under Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, denying Republicans a trifecta, while House Republicans widened their majority to 57-43 and kept Kraig Paulsen as speaker.
- Each party flipped one Senate seat. Tim Kraayenbrink (R) unseated three-term Democrat Daryl Beall (D) by about 12 points in Senate District 5, but Kevin Kinney (D) preserved the majority by winning the open, Republican-held Senate District 39 by about 1,070 votes. Mark Chelgren (R) held Senate District 41 by about 370 votes over Steve Siegel (D).
- Terry Branstad (R), first elected governor in 1982, won a sixth term, beating state Sen. Jack Hatch (D) by about 22 points, with Kim Reynolds (R) re-elected lieutenant governor on his ticket.
- Each party kept the statewide offices it held. Paul Pate (R) won the open secretary of state's office over Brandon Anderson (D) by about 2 points, the closest statewide race. Attorney General Tom Miller (D) won by about 12 points and Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald (D) by about 9 over Sam Clovis (R), while Auditor Mary Mosiman (R), appointed in 2013, won her first full term and Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey (R) was re-elected.
- In all, 8 legislative seats changed party, six toward Republicans and two toward Democrats. All 5 defeated incumbents were Democrats, four of them in the House:
- Zach Nunn (R) beat Joe Riding (D) by about 1,590 votes in House District 30.
- Brian Best (R) beat Dan Muhlbauer (D) by about 1,100 votes in House District 12.
- Ross Paustian (R) beat Frank B. Wood (D) by about 940 votes in House District 92.
- Ken Rizer (R) beat Daniel Lundby (D) by about 820 votes in House District 68.
Legislature
- House (100 seats): 47 D, 53 R before the election, 43 D, 56 R, 1 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (50 seats): 26 D, 23 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 26 D, 24 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
Statewide races
| Race | Winner | Others | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Terry Branstad (R) 58.99% | Jack Hatch (D) 37.27%, Lee Deakins Hieb (L) 1.8% | |
| Agriculture Commissioner | Bill Northey (R) 62.26% | Sherrie Taha (D) 34.11%, Levi Benning (NIP) 3.63% | |
| Attorney General | Tom Miller (D) 56.18% | Adam Gregg (R) 43.82% | |
| Auditor | Mary Mosiman (R) 56.96% | Jonathan Neiderbach (D) 43.04% | |
| Lt. Governor | Kim Reynolds (R) 58.99% | Monica Vernon (D) 37.27%, Tim Watson (L) 1.8% | |
| Secretary of State | Paul Pate (R) 48.5% | Brandon Anderson (D) 46.66%, Jake Porter (L) 3.01% | |
| Treasurer | Michael L. Fitzgerald (D) 52.91% | Sam Clovis (R) 43.71%, Keith Laube (L) 3.39% |