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Iowa's 4th Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 Democratic primary)

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← 2024
Iowa's 4th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 13, 2026
Primary: June 2, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Iowa

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Iowa's 4th Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th
Iowa elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on June 2, 2026, in Iowa's 4th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
March 13, 2026
June 2, 2026
November 3, 2026



A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Iowa, state law provides for a closed primary where every voter must be affiliated with a party in order to participate in its primary. However, a voter can change his or her political party affiliation on the day of the primary.[1][2]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This is one of 56 open races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, 21 Democrats and 35 Republicans are not running for re-election. In 2024, 45 incumbents — 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans — did not seek re-election.

This page focuses on Iowa's 4th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results


Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4

Dave Dawson (D), Stephanie Steiner (D), and Ashley WolfTornabane (D) are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 4 on June 2, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Dave Dawson
Dave Dawson  Candidate Connection
Image of Stephanie Steiner
Stephanie Steiner  Candidate Connection
Image of Ashley WolfTornabane
Ashley WolfTornabane

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Dave Dawson

Image of Dave Dawson

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I am a public servant, a proven leader, a lifelong Iowan, a prosecutor, and former state legislator. I am running to put people before politics and fight for Iowa families. I grew up in Washta and graduated from the last class of Willow Community High School. During summers while in college, I worked at my parents’ agricultural business. I earned my undergraduate degree at Iowa State University. After receiving my law degree, I worked at a law firm in Chicago for three years. I current live in Lawton and have lived in Woodbury County for the past twenty-three years. I have been a public servant for the citizens of Iowa for 18 years, working as prosecutor for Woodbury County, where I specialize in cases involving child abuse. I have been an active member of my community. I was a former coach at Sioux City West High School and previously served as a church elder. I have been a union member with AFSCME for over twenty years. I have served on several non-profit boards, including serving as legal counsel for the Community Action Agency of Siouxland, which oversees local programs for Head Start and Early Head Start. In 2012 and 2014, I was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, where I earned a reputation as someone who worked across party lines to achieve positive outcomes for my constituents. In 2016, I received the Gold Star Award from Iowa State Sheriffs’ and Deputies’ Association for leadership in the legislature on law enforcement and public safety issues."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

I will work to expand health care options and research. I will fight to lower prescription drug costs, expand rural healthcare access, and invest in medical research that saves lives. I will work to keep rural hospitals and nursing homes open and ensure mental health services are available close to home.

I will invest in rural communities. I will work to expand broadband, repair roads and bridges, strengthen family farms, make housing more affordable, and support small businesses, all to keep our communities strong. When farmers do well, the whole community does well.

I will work to raise incomes and increase competition. I will push for policies that raise wages, support working families, and crack down on corporate monopolies that hurt farmers and small business owners. I believe in an economy where hard work pays off.

Stephanie Steiner

Image of Stephanie Steiner

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I am Stephanie Steiner — a retired women’s health nurse, mother of seven, lifelong advocate for civil rights and social justice, and a proud small-farm owner running for Congress in Iowa’s 4th District. I’m married to my best friend, Mark Steiner, and together — along with our three youngest children — we run a small goat livestock operation on our acreage outside Sutherland, Iowa. Life on the farm keeps us grounded in the values that define our district: hard work, family, and community. My story begins in Athens, Alabama, where I started kindergarten in a segregated school. When I was eight, my father lost his job, and our family began moving frequently in search of work — at one point seven times in six months. I attended six different schools that year, always the new kid, and was bullied relentlessly because of it. Those experiences taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of standing up for others who feel unseen. As a nurse, I witnessed how broken our healthcare system is. When my ex-husband, Merlin, died from untreated COPD because he couldn’t afford his medication, I knew I had to fight for change. I’m running for Congress to bring empathy, compassion, and common sense back to Washington — to ensure every Iowan has a voice and that policy once again reflects the real lives of the people it impacts."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Putting Families First: I’m a retired women’s health nurse, mother of seven, and small-farm owner running to restore empathy, fairness, and common sense to Washington — ensuring policies put working families ahead of corporate interests.

Affordability & Dignity: I’ll fight to make healthcare, housing, childcare, and everyday living affordable for all Iowans.

Justice & Opportunity: I’ll defend civil rights, protect our water and farms, and strengthen rural communities — because every Iowan deserves stability, dignity, and a fair shot at a better life.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Iowa

Election information in Iowa: June 2, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: June 2, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by May 18, 2026
  • Online: May 18, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: May 18, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 18, 2026
  • Online: N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: June 2, 2026
  • By mail: Received by June 2, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

May 13, 2026 to June 1, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (CT)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Dave Dawson Democratic Party $54,858 $25,139 $29,719 As of December 31, 2025
Stephanie Steiner Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Ashley WolfTornabane Democratic Party $8,522 $6,916 $1,606 As of December 31, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_ia_congressional_district_04.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+15. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 15 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Iowa's 4th the 68th most Republican district nationally.[3]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Iowa's 4th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
34.0%65.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Iowa, 2024

Iowa presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 11 Democratic wins
  • 21 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R D R R R R D D R R D R R R D R R R R R D D D D R D D R R R
See also: Party control of Iowa state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Iowa's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Iowa
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 0 0
Republican 2 4 6
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 4 6

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Iowa's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Iowa, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Kim Reynolds
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Chris Cournoyer
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Paul Pate
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party Brenna Bird

State legislature

Iowa State Senate

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 17
     Republican Party 33
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 50

Iowa House of Representatives

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 33
     Republican Party 67
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 100

Trifecta control

Iowa Party Control: 1992-2025
Four years of Democratic trifectas  •  Eleven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D R R R R R R R R S S D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R
House D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Iowa in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Iowa, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Iowa U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1,726, including at least 47 signatures from ½ of the counties in the district N/A 3/13/2026 Source
Iowa U.S. House Unaffiliated 1,726, including at least 47 signatures from ½ of the counties in the district N/A 6/2/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Iowa Secretary of State Website, "Voter Registration FAQ," accessed October 20, 2025
  2. ↑ Iowa General Assembly, "Iowa Code § 43.42," accessed October 20, 2025
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Iowa's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Joni Ernst (R)
Chuck Grassley (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
Zach Nunn (R)
District 4
Republican Party (6)


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