Iowa 2026 elections

Political landscape in Iowa

Overview

Iowa, a landlocked upper Midwest state, is framed by the Mississippi River on the east and the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers on the west. It shares borders with Minnesota on the north, Wisconsin on the northeast, Illinois on the east and southeast, Missouri on the south, Nebraska on the west and South Dakota on the northwest. Iowa ranks 26th in total area and 32nd in population, with about 3.2 million residents. Des Moines is the capital, the most populous city and the largest metropolitan area lying entirely within the state. During the 1700s and early 1800s the region belonged to French and then Spanish Louisiana, and its state flag still follows the French model. After the Louisiana Purchase, settlers built a farming economy at the center of the Corn Belt, and Iowa entered the Union in December 1846. From the latter half of the 20th century the economy began to broaden into biotechnology, financial services, information technology, renewable energy, processing and advanced manufacturing. The state is also known for the Iowa Caucuses and its high voter turnout.

Officeholders

As of October 2026, the governor of Iowa is Kim Reynolds (Republican), and the state's US senators are Chuck Grassley (Republican) and Joni Ernst (Republican).

2026 elections

On November 3, 2026, voters in Iowa will decide the race for a US Senate seat, the race for governor, contests in 4 US House districts and 1 ballot measure. The ballot measure would require a two-thirds vote to raise the income tax.