Iowa held its general election on November 5, 2024, deciding 125 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Iowa Republicans widened both majorities, reaching a two-thirds supermajority in the House at 67 of 100 seats and adding a seat to the supermajority they already held in the Senate. With Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) mid-term, the trifecta was never in question; the night was about how much room the majority would have.
- The Senate results wiped out the Democratic leadership team: Minority Leader Pam Jochum was retiring, and both of her lieutenants lost. Minority Whip Nate Boulton (D) lost Senate District 20 in Des Moines to Mike Pike (R) by 44 votes; a recount affirmed the margin and Boulton conceded. Assistant Democratic Leader Eric Giddens (D) lost Senate District 38 to Dave Sires (R). Democrats' one Senate pickup came in the suburbs west of Des Moines, where former Urbandale council member Matt Blake (D) unseated Brad Zaun (R), first elected 20 years earlier and the chamber's president pro tempore, in Senate District 22, the most expensive statehouse race in Iowa this cycle.
- In the House, Speaker Pat Grassley's caucus lost no incumbents and took three seats from sitting Democrats, with two open seats exchanged between the parties:
- House District 41: Ryan Weldon (R) edged Rep. Molly Buck (D) by less than a point.
- House District 52 (Marshalltown): David Blom (R) unseated Rep. Sue Cahill (D).
- House District 72 (Dubuque): Jennifer Smith (R) ousted Rep. Charles Isenhart (D), a longtime Dubuque legislator.
- House District 59 (Mason City): Christian Hermanson (R) won by about two points the seat Rep. Sharon Steckman (D) left open when she retired, while Daniel Gosa (D) took the open House District 81 unopposed after Rep. Luana Stoltenberg (R) retired.
- Three races went to recounts. Besides Boulton's loss, two Democratic incumbents survived theirs: Sarah Trone Garriott (D) held Senate District 14 by 29 votes after a recount, and Monica Kurth (D) held House District 98 by fewer than 50. Across the 125 legislative races, 8 seats changed parties (six Republican pickups and two Democratic), 6 incumbents were defeated, and 32 seats drew a single candidate.
- Both constitutional amendments passed easily. About three-quarters of voters backed Amendment 1, which wrote a ban on noncitizen voting into the constitution and let 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election vote in primaries. More than four in five backed Amendment 2, which clarifies that the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the rest of a term when the office falls vacant.
Legislature
- House (100 seats): 36 D, 64 R before the election, 33 D, 67 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (50 seats): 16 D, 34 R before the election, 17 D, 32 R, 1 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote and allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election to vote in primaries. This legislatively referred constitutional amendment was placed on the Iowa 2024 ballot. Voters approved it with 77.0% voting yes. | Passed (77% yes) |
| Amendment 2 | Provides that if the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor would assume the office of governor for the remainder of the term, thereby creating a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor. This legislatively referred constitutional amendment was placed on the Iowa 2024 ballot. Voters approved it with 81.0% voting yes. | Passed (81% yes) |