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Iowa gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Libertarian primary)

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2022
2014
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
Libertarian primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 16, 2018
Primary: June 5, 2018
General: November 6, 2018

Pre-election incumbent(s):
Gov. Kim Reynolds (Republican)
Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Voting in Iowa
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Tilt Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Iowa
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Treasurer
Auditor
Agriculture commissioner

A Libertarian Party primary election took place on June 5, 2018, in Iowa to determine which Libertarians would run in the state's November 6, 2018, general election as the gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial nominees.

For more information about gubernatorial elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the sitting governor was Kim Reynolds (R). Reynolds became governor on May 24, 2017, following Terry Branstad's resignation to serve as U.S. Ambassador to China.
  • In 2018, Iowa was a Republican trifecta as a result of the Republican Party gaining a majority in the Iowa State Senate in the 2016 elections. Iowa was also under divided triplex control.
  • In presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Iowa was won by the Democratic candidate in 2000, 2008, and 2012 and by the Republican candidate in 2004 and 2016. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 10 percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Al Gore's 0.32 percent margin in 2000.
  • Iowa was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.

    Candidates and election results

    See also: Statistics on gubernatorial candidates, 2018

    Jake Porter defeated Marco Battaglia in the Libertarian primary for Governor of Iowa on June 5, 2018.

    Libertarian primary election

    Libertarian primary for Governor of Iowa

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    Image of Jake Porter
    Jake Porter Candidate Connection
     
    58.4
     
    991
    Image of Marco Battaglia
    Marco Battaglia Candidate Connection
     
    41.6
     
    705

    Total votes: 1,696
    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.

    Context of the 2018 election

    Past elections

    2014

    See also: Iowa gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

    Lee Hieb was the only Libertarian candidate running for governor of Iowa in the 2014 election.

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    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 Election Day, creating what is effectively an open primary.[1]

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

    Poll times

    In Iowa, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2][3]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To vote in Iowa, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Iowa, and at least 18 years old by Election Day. A voter that is 17 years old may participate in a primary election if they will be 18 by the time of the next general election. The deadline to register is 15 days prior to the election but registration is permitted on Election Day with proof of identification.Iowans may register online or by completing a form and returning to their county auditor’s office by mail or in person.[4][5]

    Automatic registration

    See also: Automatic voter registration

    Iowa does not practice automatic voter registration.

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    Iowa has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration

    See also: Same-day voter registration

    Iowa allows same-day voter registration.

    In order to register and vote on Election Day, voters must go to the correct polling place with proof of their identity and residence (i.e. a valid Iowa driver's license or another acceptable form of photo identification and proof of residency).[6] Click here to read more about voter identification requirements.

    Residency requirements

    To register to vote in Iowa, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Iowa does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.[7]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[8] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The Iowa secretary of state’s office maintains a page that allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

    Voter ID requirements

    Iowa requires voters to present identification while voting. Voters who do not have a valid ID can obtain an Iowa voter ID card for free by mail.[9] According to the secretary of state's website, " Iowa Department of Transportation’s Driver’s License or Non-Operator ID files are automatically mailed an Iowa Voter Identification Card."[9][10]

    Voters can present the following forms of identification:

    • Iowa voter ID card
    • Iowa driver’s license
    • Iowa non-operator ID
    • U.S. passport
    • U.S. military ID or veteran ID
    • Tribal ID card/document

    Voter who do not have one of the IDs listed above may have another voter attest to their identity, or they may provide a combination of other documents to verify their identity and residence. The following additional documents are acceptable proof of identity:[5]

    • Out-of-state driver's license or non-driver ID card
    • ID card issued by employer
    • Student ID issued by Iowa high school or college
    • Another photo ID that is current, valid, and contains an expiration date

    The following documents are acceptable proof of residence:[5]

    • A photo ID from one of the lists above that includes the voter's current address
    • Residential lease
    • Utility bill (including a cell phone bill)
    • Bank statement
    • Paycheck
    • Government check or other government document
    • Property tax statement

    Voters without the required identification or another voter to attest to their identity will be offered a provisional ballot.[9]

    Early voting

    Iowa permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Iowa. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. To vote absentee/by-mail, a request application must be received by the county auditor between 70 days before the election and 5 p.m. on the 15th day prior to the election. Voters must include one of the following: Iowa driver's license or non-operator ID number, voter ID/verification number, or the four-digit PIN from their voter ID card. Returned absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on Election Day in order to be counted.[11]


    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Iowa heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    • Republicans controlled both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly. They had a 58-41 majority in the state House and a 29-20 majority in the state Senate.

    Trifecta status

    • Iowa had a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Kim Reynolds (R) served as governor; she succeeded Terry E. Branstad, who resigned on May 24, 2017, to take the position of U.S. Ambassador to China.

    2018 elections

    See also: Iowa elections, 2018

    Iowa held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for Iowa
     IowaU.S.
    Total population:3,121,997316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):55,8573,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:91.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:3.2%12.6%
    Asian:2%5.1%
    Native American:0.3%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
    Two or more:2%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:5.4%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:91.5%86.7%
    College graduation rate:26.7%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$53,183$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:13.8%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Iowa.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2016, Iowa's three largest cities were Des Moines (pop. est. 220,000), Cedar Rapids (pop. est. 130,000), and Davenport (pop. est. 100,000).[12]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Iowa from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Iowa Secretary of State website.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Iowa every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), Iowa 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 50.7% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 41.3% 9.4%
    2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 51.7% Republican Party Mitt Romney 46.0% 5.7%
    2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 53.7% Republican Party John McCain 44.2% 9.5%
    2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 49.9% Democratic Party John Kerry 49.2% 0.7%
    2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 48.5% Republican Party George W. Bush 48.2% 0.3%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Iowa from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), Iowa 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Chuck Grassley 60.1% Democratic Party Patty Judge 35.7% 24.4%
    2014 Republican Party Joni Ernst 51.5% Democratic Party Bruce Braley 43.3% 8.2%
    2010 Republican Party Chuck Grassley 63.4% Democratic Party Roxanne Conlin 32.8% 30.6%
    2008 Democratic Party Tom Harkin 61.4% Republican Party Christopher Reed 36.5% 24.9%
    2004 Republican Party Chuck Grassley 70.2% Democratic Party Arthur Small 27.9% 42.3%
    2002 Democratic Party Tom Harkin 54.2% Republican Party Greg Ganske 43.8% 10.4%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Iowa.

    Election results (Governor), Iowa 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2014 Republican Party Terry Branstad 58.4% Democratic Party Jack Hatch 36.9% 21.5%
    2010 Republican Party Terry Branstad 52.3% Democratic Party Chet Culver 42.8% 9.5%
    2006 Democratic Party Chet Culver 53.7% Republican Party Jim Nussle 44.1% 9.6%
    2002 Democratic Party Tom Vilsack 52.7% Republican Party Doug Gross 44.5% 8.2%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Iowa in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, Iowa 2000-2016
    Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
    2016 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+2
    2014 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+2
    2012[13] Republican Party 2 50.0% Democratic Party 2 50.0% Split
    2010 Republican Party 2 40.0% Democratic Party 3 60.0% D+1
    2008 Republican Party 2 40.0% Democratic Party 3 60.0% D+1
    2006 Republican Party 2 40.0% Democratic Party 3 60.0% D+1
    2004 Republican Party 4 80.0% Democratic Party 1 20.0% R+3
    2002 Republican Party 4 80.0% Democratic Party 1 20.0% R+3
    2000 Republican Party 4 80.0% Democratic Party 1 20.0% R+3

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    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


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    Thirty-one of 99 Iowa counties—31 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
    County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
    Allamakee County, Iowa 24.15% 4.17% 14.25%
    Boone County, Iowa 13.69% 6.64% 7.63%
    Bremer County, Iowa 13.68% 2.68% 9.31%
    Buchanan County, Iowa 15.02% 13.87% 18.48%
    Cedar County, Iowa 17.78% 4.59% 9.64%
    Cerro Gordo County, Iowa 7.66% 13.38% 20.83%
    Chickasaw County, Iowa 22.94% 11.07% 20.74%
    Clarke County, Iowa 28.02% 1.47% 2.25%
    Clayton County, Iowa 22.78% 7.03% 17.17%
    Clinton County, Iowa 5.12% 22.84% 23.03%
    Des Moines County, Iowa 6.89% 18.41% 23.04%
    Dubuque County, Iowa 1.23% 14.71% 20.77%
    Fayette County, Iowa 19.36% 11.96% 16.60%
    Floyd County, Iowa 14.84% 14.63% 21.88%
    Howard County, Iowa 20.49% 20.95% 25.78%
    Jackson County, Iowa 19.27% 16.89% 24.39%
    Jasper County, Iowa 18.13% 7.07% 7.50%
    Jefferson County, Iowa 0.47% 15.97% 20.23%
    Jones County, Iowa 19.08% 7.78% 10.40%
    Lee County, Iowa 16.02% 15.49% 16.01%
    Louisa County, Iowa 28.37% 0.64% 4.25%
    Marshall County, Iowa 8.31% 9.36% 9.35%
    Mitchell County, Iowa 24.04% 3.37% 12.31%
    Muscatine County, Iowa 6.26% 15.88% 15.64%
    Poweshiek County, Iowa 6.53% 9.35% 11.75%
    Tama County, Iowa 20.28% 7.43% 12.19%
    Union County, Iowa 27.49% 3.86% 3.70%
    Wapello County, Iowa 20.60% 11.88% 13.53%
    Webster County, Iowa 21.52% 5.84% 8.51%
    Winneshiek County, Iowa 0.79% 14.74% 22.65%
    Worth County, Iowa 21.68% 14.53% 22.42%

    In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Iowa with 51.1 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 41.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1848 and 2016, Iowa voted Republican 69.76 percent of the time and Democratic 30.23 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Iowa voted Democratic three times and Republican the other two times.[14]

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Iowa. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[15][16]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 61 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 19.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 35 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 18.8 points. Clinton won four districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 39 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 13.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 65 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 24.5 points. Trump won 10 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Iowa governor Libertarian primary 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    See also

    Iowa government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. Iowa Secretary of State Website, "Voter Registration FAQ," accessed July 21, 2025
    2. Iowa Secretary of State, "Find Your Polling Place," accessed July 21, 2025
    3. The Iowa Legislature, "I.C.A. § 49.74," accessed July 21, 2025
    4. Iowa Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed July 21, 2025
    5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Iowa Secretary of State, "Election Day Registration," accessed July 21, 2025
    6. Iowa Secretary of State, "Election Day Registration," accessed July 21, 2025
    7. Iowa Secretary of State, "State of Iowa Official Voter Registration Form," accessed July 21, 2025
    8. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Iowa Secretary of State, "Voter ID FAQ," accessed July 21, 2025
    10. Iowa Secretary of State, "Iowa Voter Identification Requirements," accessed July 21, 2025
    11. Iowa Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting," accessed July 21, 2025
    12. Iowa Demographics, "Iowa Cities by Population," accessed September 4, 2018
    13. Iowa lost one U.S. House seat following the 2010 census.
    14. 270towin.com, "Iowa," accessed June 1, 2017
    15. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    16. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017