Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2018

Elections in Iowa, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 27
• Early voting: Oct. 8 - Nov. 5
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Voter ID: ID required
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. House • Governor • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Appellate courts • Local judges • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2020 → ← 2016
Iowa's 1st Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 16, 2018
Primary: June 5, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Rod Blum (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Voting in Iowa
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2018): D+1 Cook Political Report: Lean Democratic Inside Elections: Lean Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
Iowa's 1st Congressional District 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th Iowa elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

State Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D) defeated incumbent Rod Blum (R) and Troy Hageman (L) in the general election on November 6, 2018, to represent Iowa's 1st Congressional District.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. The Democratic Party gained a net total of 40 seats, winning control of the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Heading into the election, the Republican Party was in the majority holding 235 seats to Democrats' 193 seats, with seven vacant seats. Democrats needed to win 23 GOP-held seats in 2018 to win control of the House. From 1918 to 2016, the president’s party lost an average of 29 seats in midterm elections.

Blum was re-elected in 2016 by a 54-46 margin. Barack Obama (D) carried the district in 2008 and 2012, both times by double-digit margins. However, Donald Trump (R) won the district by a 49-45 margin. Roll Call identified Blum as the most vulnerable U.S. House incumbent seeking re-election in 2018 in an October 4 article.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Abby Finkenauer defeated incumbent Rod Blum and Troy Hageman in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Abby Finkenauer (D)	51.0	170,342
		Rod Blum (R)	45.9	153,442
		Troy Hageman (L)	3.1	10,285
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	174

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 334,243 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Henry Gaff (G)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Abby Finkenauer defeated Thomas Heckroth, Courtney Rowe, and George Ramsey in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Abby Finkenauer	66.9	29,745
		Thomas Heckroth	19.1	8,516
		Courtney Rowe	7.6	3,381
		George Ramsey	6.4	2,837

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 44,479
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Incumbent Rod Blum advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rod Blum	100.0	14,737

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 14,737
= 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.

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Rod Blum, U.S. representative

Party: Republican

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: U.S. House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2015)

Biography: Blum graduated from Loras College with a finance degree in 1977 and obtained an M.B.A. in marketing from the University of Dubuque in 1985. In 1990, Blum joined Eagle Point Software, where he would serve as chief executive officer. Blum served as chairman of the Dubuque County Republican Party between 1995 and 1997. In 2000, Blum left Eagle Point Software to found architectural software firm Digital Canal. As of the 2018 election, Blum remained owner of the firm.

Key messages

• Blum said that "ensuring Social Security’s long term stability isn’t just good policy, it’s personal. It’s about my mom, and it’s about the promises we’ve made to millions of Americans just like her." He criticized Finkenauer for her healthcare proposals, which he said "would eliminate private health insurance and end Medicare as we know it."

• Blum said that he worked hard to found and establish a business and was better off than his parents. He said he ran for re-election "because recent polls have shown that most Americans do not believe their children will be better off than their parents."

Abby Finkenauer, state representative

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: Iowa House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2015)

Biography: Finkenauer graduated from Drake University in 2011 with a degree in public relations and business studies. After her graduation, Finkenauer worked at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. She worked as a legislative assistant in the Iowa House of Representatives in 2012 and 2013 and was elected to the chamber the following year.

Key messages

• Finkenauer said that she "will take the values she learned from her family and her experiences growing up in a blue-collar community to Washington, DC, where she will be the fighter Iowa’s working families deserve." She said that in the state House, "she has opposed massive corporate giveaways to out of state companies, fought to make high-quality healthcare available to all Iowans and supported affordable education for all students."

• Finkenauer said that she believes "Social Security and Medicare is a responsibility we have to each other. It's a trust I'll never break", saying that Blum voted in favor of a proposal allowing insurance companies to charge senior citizens higher premiums.

Troy Hageman

Party: Libertarian

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Hageman was an outdoorsman with an interest in kayaking and hunting. He received a paramedic specialist license from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Key messages

• Hageman said that he would work to limit government involvement in citizens' lives.

• Hageman said that he supported a market-based approach to problems, calling for a reduction in government regulations related to trade and healthcare and for the elimination of the federal minimum wage.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Iowa's 1st Congressional District, 2018
Poll	Poll sponsor	Abby Finkenauer (D)	Rod Blum (R)	Undecided/Other	Margin of Error	Sample Size
The New York Times Upshot/Siena College (October 28-31, 2018)	N/A	46%	39%	11%	+/-4.9	452
The Polling Company (October 3-4, 2018)	The Blum campaign	44%	43%	11%	+/-4.9	400
The New York Times/Siena College (September 18-20, 2018)	N/A	52%	37%	11%	+/-4.6	502
Emerson College (September 6-8, 2018)	N/A	43%	38%	19%	+/-3.2	1,000
Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Click [show] to view the results of polls conducted before the primaries.

U.S. House election in Iowa's 1st Congressional District, Ramsey vs. Blum Poll George Ramsey (D) Rod Blum (R) Undecided/Other Margin of Error Sample Size Thirty-Ninth Street Strategies January 19-22 48% 42% 10% +/-4.9% 400 Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org U.S. House election in Iowa's 1st Congressional District, Finkenauer vs. Blum Poll Abby Finkenauer (D) Rod Blum (R) Undecided/Other Margin of Error Sample Size Public Policy Polling February 12-13, 2018 43% 42% 15% +/-3.6 742 Public Policy Polling November 2-3, 2017 43% 42% 16% +/-N/A 737 Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org U.S. House election in Iowa's 1st Congressional District, Heckroth vs. Blum Poll Thomas Heckroth (D) Rod Blum (R) Undecided/Other Margin of Error Sample Size Public Policy Polling November 2-3, 2017 42% 41% 18% +/-N/A 737 Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Rod Blum	Republican Party	$2,814,962	$2,774,878	$87,651	As of December 31, 2018
Abby Finkenauer	Democratic Party	$4,601,775	$4,572,792	$28,983	As of December 31, 2018
Troy Hageman	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. 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.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

• American Action Network ran an ad in favor of the 2017 tax law in Iowa's 1st District.

• Americans for Prosperity announced it would support Blum on August 31, 2018.

• Change Now ran ads in opposition to Rod Blum (R) starting with a buy of just over $550,000 in September 2018.

• Congressional Leadership Fund
  • On October 16, 2018, the group announced a $1 million television ad buy in support of Blum.
  • The group announced in April that Iowa's 1st District would be targeted as part of a $10 million digital advertising buy to protect incumbents.

• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
  • The committee purchased $115,000 worth of airtime on October 2, 2018.
  • The committee began running digital ads in June 2018 opposing the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The committee canceled all of its ad buys in the Cedar Rapids media market on September 24.

• House Majority PAC announced plans to spend $43 million on television advertisements in 2018. Some of the spending would be in this race's media market, according to the Washington Post.

• Organizing for Action said it would target Iowa's 1st District.

• The United Association of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders and Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Service Techs launched a $225,000 television ad campaign opposing Blum on October 30, 2018.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018	October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

District analysis

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

See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+1, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 1 percentage point more Democratic than the national average. This made Iowa's 1st Congressional District the 190th most Democratic nationally.

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.06. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.06 points toward that party.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites:

• Abby Finkenauer

Noteworthy general election endorsements
Endorsement	Finkenauer (D)	Blum (R)
Newspapers and editorials
The Telegraph Herald		✔
Elected officials
Former President Barack Obama (D)	✔
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)	✔
Organizations
Americans for Prosperity		✔

Click [show] to see a list of endorsements in the June 5 Democratic primary

Timeline

• October 31, 2018: A New York Times Upshot/Siena College poll found Finkenauer apparently leading Blum, with 46 percent support to Blum's 39 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.
• October 30, 2018: The United Association launched a $225,000 ad campaign opposing Blum.
• October 30, 2018: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) made a campaign appearance alongside Finkenauer in Cedar Rapids.
• October 21, 2018: The Telegraph Herald endorsed Blum.
• October 16, 2018: Blum and Finkenauer met for a debate in Cedar Rapids.
• October 16, 2018: The Congressional Leadership Fund announced a $1 million ad buy in support of Blum.
• October 16, 2018: A Polling Company poll commissioned by the Blum campaign found Finkenauer about even with Blum with 44 percent support to Blum's 43 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.
• October 9, 2018: President Donald Trump (R) made a campaign appearance on Blum's behalf in Council Bluffs.
• October 5, 2018: Blum and Finkenauer met for a debate at the University of Northern Iowa sponsored by KWWL.
• October 2, 2018: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reserved $115,000 in airtime.
• October 1, 2018: Former President Barack Obama (D) endorsed Finkenauer.
• September 21, 2018: The Blum campaign released an ad titled Malcolm.
• September 21, 2018: The Finkenauer campaign released an ad titled Trust.
• September 20, 2018: The Blum campaign released an ad titled Floodwall.
• September 20, 2018: The Blum campaign released an ad titled Radical.
• September 20, 2018: The Blum campaign released an ad titled No Apology.

Campaign advertisements

Rod Blum

Support

"Malcolm" - Blum campaign ad, released September 21, 2018

"Floodwall" - Blum campaign ad, released September 20, 2018

"Jake" - Blum campaign ad, released September 5, 2018

"Respect" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Teamwork in Washington" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Teamwork Works" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Protecting Social Security for Seniors" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Clean Up Congress" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Celeste" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Nancy" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Bruce Schaal" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Joy" - Blum campaign ad, released August 30, 2018

"Dirt Floors" - Blum campaign ad released August 20, 2018

Oppose

"UATV Vote Abby Finkenauer" - United Association of Plumbers ad, released October 26, 2018

"Shady" - Change Now ad, released October 2, 2018

"Windfall" - Change Now ad released September 4, 2018

"Didn't Ask" - Keep Iowa Healthy ad released June 14, 2018

"Rod Blum - Ethics Violation" - House Majority PAC ad released April 9, 2018

Abby Finkenauer

Support

"Support" - Finkenauer campaign ad, released October 25, 2018

"Trust" - Finkenauer campaign ad, released September 21, 2018

"Caller ID" - Finkenauer campaign ad, released September 2, 2018

"Tom" - Finkenauer campaign ad, released August 19, 2018

"Dinner Table" - Finkenauer campaign ad, released August 13, 2018

Oppose

"Nightmare" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released October 31, 2018

"Risk" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released October 16, 2018

"Radical" - Blum campaign ad, released September 20, 2018

"No Apology" - Blum campaign ad, released September 20, 2018

Noteworthy events

Joe Biden campaign appearance

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) made a campaign appearance at an early voting rally in Cedar Rapids alongside Finkenauer and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell on October 30, 2018.

Donald Trump campaign appearance

President Donald Trump (R) made a campaign appearance on Blum's behalf in Council Bluffs on October 9, 2018.

Debates and forums

• Blum and Finkenauer met for a debate in Cedar Rapids on October 16, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
• Blum and Finkenauer met for a debate at the University of Northern Iowa sponsored by KWWL on October 5, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.

Campaign themes

Rod Blum

Blum's campaign website stated the following:

“	Social Security My 84-year-old mother recently passed away. But before leaving us, she was independent for years thanks to her earned Social Security benefits. Our family saw — like thousands of other Eastern Iowa families — the good the program does for our elderly by empowering them to remain self-sufficient and independent long past their working days. But here’s the reality: Social Security is going broke thanks to a lack of leadership from career politicians who care only about their next re-election. For me, ensuring Social Security’s long term stability isn’t just good policy, it’s personal. It’s about my mom, and it’s about the promises we’ve made to millions of Americans just like her. If we want this program to be around for future generations, we need to get our house in order. And the sooner the better – the longer we wait the more difficult the Social Security problem becomes to solve. Now, this is the point where career politicians start the political scare tactics. They claims that anyone who wants to have a serious conversation about reforming Social Security is in fact trying to destroy it, using words like “privatize” to frighten voters into supporting their campaign. But actually, it is career politicians who are jeopardizing Social Security by ignoring reality and putting their political ambition ahead of the American people. Their refusal to tell the truth and make tough decisions has put all of us at risk. As a lifelong small businessman, I’m used to talking straight. And it’s my belief that Eastern Iowa voters deserve the truth rather than deceptive scare tactics. That’s why I’m not afraid to tell you – the citizens I hope to have the honor of representing in Congress – the truth about the options we have to preserve Social Security. Both Republicans and Democrats have proposed ideas to save the program. Whether it’s slightly increasing the income cap on the Social Security tax, allowing young Americans to opt in to private retirement savings accounts, means-testing benefits for wealthier Americans, or gradually raising the retirement age for people younger than 55, our politicians must come to the table in good faith and work out a bipartisan compromise that preserves Social Security long-term. If we come together as a nation, acknowledge reality, and implement reform, we can ensure that Social Security will be around for our children and their children. I’m not pretending it will be easy, but if we want to preserve Social Security we need the courage to do the right thing. Agriculture Agriculture is the backbone of northeast Iowa and throughout my two terms in Congress I have fought hard to protect the interests of Iowa farmers and will not stop doing so. I support expanding markets for Iowa’s agricultural products and I am fighting for common sense free trade agreements that open up new markets for Iowa farmers. I demanded the Administration not jeopardize the industry while they negotiate better deals and I will not stop until our farmers have the security they need. I have championed efforts to pass a Farm Bill and ensure vital programs, which provide much-needed aid and relief to farmers, are preserved. But there is more to be done- I have been working closely with the Trump Administration and my colleagues in Congress to address the year-round sale of E-15, to undo the damage from the EPA’s unlawful granting of waivers to “small” refineries, to reverse the effects of tariffs on our agricultural exports, and to nominate a new, ethanol-friendly EPA Director. Economy Our economy is back to life thanks to a Congress and President that are committed to letting hard-working Americans keep more of the money they earn and eliminating job-killing regulations throughout every industry. Passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will bring an average savings of $2,564 to first district residents this year, along with more take-home pay for families, raises and bonuses from businesses throughout the country, the child tax credit doubling from $1,000 to $2,000 per child, the standard deduction doubling from $12,000 to $24,000, and the medical expense deduction allowing those with costly medical expenses to deduct from their taxes. Our employment numbers, consumer confidence, small business confidence, and American competitiveness are at record highs and meanwhile, our unemployment for minorities is at record lows. In July 2018, it was announced our GDP growth has reached 4.1% — the best pace since 2014. But there is more that can be done. My priorities going forward are to continue cutting the chains of taxes and regulations holding back small businesses and continue to make America competitive on the global scale. Cleaning Up Congress I was elected to Congress on a promise to Drain the Swamp and eliminate backward incentives in Washington, D.C. Here is an overview of my efforts to follow through with this promise. Introduced legislation to cut the pay of Members of Congress each year the budget is not balanced Introduced legislation to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used for first-class flights or luxury car leases for Members of Congress Introduced legislation to prohibit Members of Congress from cashing in on their public service by becoming lobbyists after their time in office Serve as the Chair of the Congressional Term Limits Caucus and have cosponsored legislation to enact term limits on Members of Congress Cosponsored legislation to eliminate taxpayer dollars from paying off harassment settlements for Members of Congress Cosponsored legislation to eliminate the taxpayer-funded pension program Members of Congress enjoy after serving their terms I am Chair of the Whistleblower Caucus and have passed two bills to ensure whistleblowers are protected from retaliation when exposing waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government	”
—Blum for Congress

Abby Finkenauer

Finkenauer's campaign website stated the following:

“	Creating Jobs and a Strong Economy As your representative in Congress, I’ll always fight for Iowans to have good jobs with fair wages they can rely on to support their families. We need to ensure that we’ve created the conditions for businesses to succeed here in Eastern Iowa, and that we’re constantly searching for opportunities to bring investment into our region. Too many of our communities have been left behind as our national economy changes. We need forward-thinking leadership that will position our region to preserve the jobs we have now and attract the jobs of the future. Improving Our Infrastructure to Support Jobs We must invest in our deteriorating and underfunded infrastructure in Eastern Iowa to support entrepreneurs and create jobs. The majority of our roadways were built 50 to 60 years ago with few updates since then, and have received only a C- rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers1. Our bridges received a D+ grade, with one in five Iowa bridges considered structurally deficient2. Failing infrastructure makes it harder for goods and services to reach consumers, which hurts Iowa farmers and small business owners. A number of the levees protecting us from dangerous floods fail to meet FEMA guidelines and, due to a lack of funding and available staff, only about 10% of Iowa dams are regularly inspected. We must continue to construct and repair our flood prevention infrastructure, including funding and building the full Cedar River Flood Control system to protect residents and businesses. We are also behind when it comes to the infrastructure Iowans will need to compete in the 21st century. Currently, Iowa ranks 39th on connectivity3 with 22% of Iowans still underserved when it comes to access to broadband4. In 2017, there is no excuse for the fact that over 160,000 Iowans still don’t have access to any wired Internet providers5. This makes everything from logistics to communications more difficult, harming the competitiveness of our businesses and making our region less attractive to entrepreneurs. By investing in infrastructure we can create jobs, support our businesses, and ensure that all Iowans can travel safely across the state. Investing in Main Street We can’t build a strong economy without thriving small and community businesses. We must ensure that entrepreneurs and small business owners have access to the capital they need to hire and grow. An Eastern Iowan might have a great idea for a business, but if they can’t secure loans or investment to get their concept off the ground, that great idea will go nowhere and the surrounding community will lose out on potential jobs. I am committed to strengthening funding opportunities for small businesses so that entrepreneurs are supported and have the opportunity to take smart, calculated risks to achieve their goals. We must ensure that small businesses are not overly burdened by unnecessary regulations and red tape. While large corporations can employ an army of accountants and regulatory professionals to deal with these demands, entrepreneurs have no such resources. We need to level the playing field to give Main Street a fair shot. Strengthening Family Farms Growing up in rural Iowa, I understand personally that our agricultural community is critically important to Eastern Iowa, with farmers comprising the backbone of our families and towns. I will always work to strengthen family farms because doing so is not only important to our economy, but to the traditions and way of life for countless working families in our state. This starts with ensuring the farm bill considered in Congress every four years is based on sound policy designed to help farmers, rather than being subject to partisan political games as has too often happened in recent versions. It means fighting to give farmers access to the capital they need to grow and thrive, as modern farm equipment does not come cheaply. And it means making sure federal farm subsidies go to support family farms rather than huge corporate entities, and that federal programs like crop insurance programs that protect farmers are defended. By fostering strong family farms, we maintain strong families and strong communities, and these goals must always be a priority in Washington. Preparing Our Workforce We must make sure businesses can find the qualified workers they need at home. Creating jobs in our region won’t help working families if we don’t prepare Iowans with the skills to fill them. This includes making college more affordable but it also means strengthening career and technical education in our public high schools so that every student—regardless of whether college is the best path for them—will be prepared to thrive in the 21st century economy. We must also support and foster partnerships between local businesses and schools so that students have access to internships, job training opportunities, and apprenticeship programs. Fighting for Working Families Iowans are working harder than ever but wages have grown too slowly over the last decade. Women still earn less than their male counterparts and parents too often have to choose between a paycheck or staying home with their newborn. Washington politicians continue to side with corporations and the wealthy over hard-working Americans. And the damage is clear: wages are lower, union membership is down, and the middle class is shrinking. It’s time for everyday Iowans to have a voice in Washington. I’ll prioritize expanding economic opportunity and security so that families can thrive right here in Eastern Iowa. In Congress, I will fight for equal pay, the unions that support our families, and a fair, living wage for every hard-working American. Strong unions My father was a union pipefitter welder and has been a proud union member for over 40 years. I grew up in a union household, and I understand how important good union jobs are to families across Eastern Iowa. I will always fight to defend unions so that we can strengthen our families and our workers across the 1st district. Strong organized labor builds a thriving middle class. Across the county, and here in Iowa, unions have raised wages for countless hard-working Americans. Nationally in 2014, the typical union worker made almost $200 more a week than an average non-union worker.1 But attacks on labor are decreasing union membership across the country. Here in Iowa we have always been proud of our unions, and I’m honored to be endorsed by a number of them including the Iowa Teamsters and AFSCME Council 61. Unions deserve a strong voice in Washington. In Congress, I will always support pro-labor legislation and oppose efforts to put big corporations over American workers. Equal Pay In Iowa, women are paid 77 cents for every dollar that men earn, which means Iowa’s women – and their families – lose out on an average of $11,034 every year.2 That’s simply not acceptable. As a state legislator, I fought hard for equal pay and introduced an amendment to require all businesses that contracted with the state to certify that they paid the same wages to men and women with the same education level and experience.3 Equal pay is a moral issue and a working families issue and I plan to continue this fight in Washington. In Congress, I will support equal pay legislation to close the wage gap that continues to hurt women and families across the country. Living Wage When American workers are paid a fair, living wage, our economy and middle-class flourish. Republicans in Washington continue to put corporations and their executives over hard-working Americans. In Congress, I’ll fight to ensure all American workers are paid a fair, living wage on which they can support a family. At its heart, this is a family issue. We need to ensure Iowans have access to good-paying jobs at fair wages so they are able to settle down where they choose or remain in their hometowns, instead of being forced to move elsewhere to raise a family. By paying every worker a living wage, Iowans will be able to live close to their parents and grandparents in towns across our state, maintaining the strong family and community ties that have broken down as younger generations have been forced to leave too many places. Paid Family Leave The time for enacting an effective paid family leave policy is long overdue. No working American should ever have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a loved one. Unfortunately, this is a reality for too many parents and family members: in 2016, only 14% of civilian workers had access to paid family leave.4 It’s a disgrace and we must do better for American families. In Congress, I’ll fight to expand paid family leave because, when working families are given the time they need to care for themselves or their loved ones, our economy, our workforce, and our families thrive. Fighting for Access to Quality and Affordable Healthcare There are certain American values that should not be up for debate – in Iowa, in Washington, or anywhere else. Healthcare is a human right, and extending access to quality and affordable care to every American must be a top priority in Congress. It will certainly be one of mine, and I won’t be afraid to fight for universal health care – including a public option. Sadly, that’s not the case for our current representative. Rod Blum has made clear where he stands on this critical issue by voting1 to raise monthly premiums on Iowans by up to thousands of dollars and to leave 23 million more Americans uninsured.2 And when President Trump made the irresponsible decision to cancel Cost Sharing Reduction payments that keep insurance rates down for Iowans – a move that was projected to increase premiums by 13%3 – Rep. Blum stood by and did nothing. Many of our state leaders in Des Moines have failed us as well, pushing a disastrous Medicaid privatization scheme that hurt working families and reduced funds for important rural hospitals, among other problems.4 That’s unacceptable. It’s past time for leadership that puts working Iowa families first, and that means fighting to protect and build upon the progress we made in the Affordable Care Act toward the goals of achieving universal healthcare coverage and lowering the cost of care. I’ll fight back against all attempts to raise premiums, kick Iowans off their healthcare, or reduce the services covered by their insurance, such as annual preventive care checkups, maternity care, or addiction and mental health treatment. At the same time, we need to ensure that underserved communities in Iowa have access to the health care services they need. This means fighting for community health centers and critical access hospitals that serve towns and cities throughout our state, as well as making sure that funding for the vital Children’s Health Insurance Program never lapses again, as Rep. Blum and his fellow Washington politicians recently allowed to happen for months. We need representation in Congress that’s working for Iowans to improve our healthcare system and expand coverage and services that strengthen families. And it’s time for the partisan political games that have too often controlled the healthcare conversation in Washington to end. Fighting for Women's Health It should be incredibly simple – a woman’s health should be an issue considered by herself, her doctor, and her family. Washington must stay out of the way and let women make these decisions for themselves. That includes the right not to be charged more for our insurance than men, the right to have access to birth control, and the right to choose – all of which Washington politicians are threatening. As a state legislator, I fought back against countless1 bills2 that targeted women’s health and defunded organizations that offered cancer screenings, preventive care, and other essential health services.3 I’ll do the same in Congress. I’ll always support trusting women to do what is right for them and I’ll stand up for continuing to fund access to health care through providers like Planned Parenthood. Fighting for Good Schools and Affordable College I’m a proud product of Dubuque public schools. I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from quality teachers and inspiring mentors. I wouldn’t be here today without them. We must give every child that same chance at success that comes from a quality education. I went to college here in Iowa and I know firsthand how difficult affording college can be. Like tens of thousands of Iowans, I’m still struggling to pay back my student loans, without which I would never have been able to afford college. We need to invest in our public schools to put our students on the path to a good job or college after graduation. That starts by expanding access to Pre-K, which jumpstarts learning and provides a solid foundation for a child to grow. And we must ensure that college is affordable for all Iowans, including relief for those burdened with student loan debt and greater transparency so that students understand what they’ll be paying for. Expanding Access to Pre-K High-quality Pre-K is proven to be a critical factor in increasing a student’s ability to succeed.1 It’s time we prioritize investing in early education so that we can extend this foundation to as many children as possible. In Congress, I’ll support legislation to make quality Pre-K accessible and affordable for more families, which will also reduce the burden of childcare costs faced by working parents. Affordable Higher Education Every year, students graduate from college eager to jumpstart their careers. But increasing college tuition costs leave many of them buried under a mountain of student loan debt that limits their opportunities. It’s no secret that the cost of college has become way too high for way too many. The situation is made worse by a lack of transparency on the part of colleges and universities, leaving students unsure of what they are paying for. No student should be forced to make the life-changing decision on where they’ll go to college and how much they’ll have to pay for it without access to detailed information on what their costs will be. Greater transparency from colleges and universities will ensure that students and families know exactly what they must pay and it will create competition that will help keep future costs down. We must also ensure that students who take out college loans are able to pay them off in an appropriate amount of time. That’s why I’ll support legislation to allow students to refinance their student loan debt at current interest rates—much like one could do with a home mortgage—and I’ll fiercely oppose attempts to tax the interest paid on student loan debt. Career and Technical Education Here in Eastern Iowa and across the county, we have countless businesses and manufacturers looking for qualified workers with specific technical skills and training. We have many motivated high school graduates who want to enter the workforce for whom college may not be the best path. And we have nontraditional students, like adults looking to embark on a new career path or gain new skills to enhance their potential in their current field. We can’t let their talent go to waste. We must have robust career and technical education opportunities that train students with the specialized skills needed to fill available jobs and grow our economy. In Congress, I’ll support funding for these programs and make sure that our students have access to the training they need. We must also support and foster partnerships between local businesses and schools so that students have access to internships, job training opportunities, and apprenticeship programs, a key link between businesses and prospective workers. These measures also support our local businesses, allowing them to hire a qualified workforce right here at home rather than looking elsewhere to grow. Growing our Clean Energy Economy and Protecting our Environment Today we face more urgent and pressing dangers to our environment, our economy, and the future health of Iowans than ever before. Our planet is warming at a quickening rate and large corporations are taking advantage of every loophole they can to pollute our environment so they can make a slightly larger profit at the expense of American families – all while working to set back our clean energy economy that creates jobs for Iowans. Yet currently, Iowa’s 1st District is represented by a Congressman who has denied the science of climate change and a President who think it’s a Chinese hoax. In Congress, I will always be a voice for common sense policies that protect our air and water, support the clean energy jobs of the future, and preserve Iowa’s climate so that our farming communities can still exist far into the future. This starts with pushing back against President Trump’s disastrous decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, which will make the United States the only nation in the world not to be part of the agreement to reduce emissions and combat the effects of climate change. Make no mistake – this decision is bad for our economy and our health here in Eastern Iowa. The effects of climate change are projected to shrink our local economic output by up to 5%,1 and it will be working families that bear the brunt of that damage. Ask any farmer here in the First District and they’ll tell you first hand that instances of drought and unusual weather are taking ever larger tolls on their crop production. We need to be growing our clean energy sector to create jobs and reduce emissions, not taking actions that stunt the spread of renewable technology and give our robust private sector fewer incentives to invest in our region. The good news is that here in Iowa we have some of the best renewable energy resources in the country. Our clean energy economy already supports over 30,000 jobs statewide, while we generate more of our energy from wind than any other state.2 We lead the nation in ethanol production, creating over a quarter of the entire country’s manufacturing capacity.3 We can’t afford to turn away from this progress and throw out the gains to our economy and environment that we’ve built. I will make it a priority to support policies that continue this growth and preserve our status as a national leader in clean energy production, while at the same time strengthening our renewable energy manufacturing sector to create even more good jobs at good wages for Eastern Iowans. I’m not new to this fight. While serving in Des Moines, I fought back against efforts by the fossil fuel industry to neuter the Iowa Energy Center at Iowa State University – a key leader in growing Iowa’s clean energy economy and conducting renewable energy research – by transferring it to a state agency that could end its principal mission. By using the Freedom of Information Act process, I exposed the involvement of fossil fuel lobbyists in drafting secret legislation to transfer control of the center, revealing the true motive for the move.4 I’ll play a similar watchdog role in Congress, and will just as firmly stand up to attempts to weaken key programs and measures that fight climate change, grow our clean energy economy, and protect our environment. Ultimately it’s time we had a representative who fights for Iowa families – ensuring they can live in healthy environments supported by good jobs – rather than standing with corporate polluters and those opposed to science. Commitment to Seniors Social Security and Medicare are sacred promises we have made to our seniors, who spent a lifetime paying into these critical programs that support tens of thousands in the 1st district. They deserve to retire in financial security supported by the benefits they’ve earned. In Congress, I’ll fight to protect Social Security and Medicare against any efforts to cut benefits or weaken their solvency so that both current seniors and future generations can count on them. Similarly, we must ensure that seniors on fixed incomes are not overly burdened by the cost of rising prescription drug prices. No senior should be forced to go bankrupt to preserve their health. I’ll support allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices on medications and be open to the best policy ideas to reduce costs, like bringing more generic drugs to market or closing the Medicare Part D donut hole earlier. Bipartisan Immigration Reform It is abundantly clear that our current immigration system is broken and is failing our country, our state, and the people of eastern Iowa. After years of playing politics, members of both parties must finally have the courage to pass bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform that creates an earned pathway to citizenship for millions who have paid their taxes and contributed to society, while securing our borders and ensuring strong interior immigration enforcement so that we keep out and deport criminals and those who would do us harm. That should include a renewal of DACA so we keep our promise to those who were brought to this country as children and are now building a better life through getting a college degree or serving in the military. It should include measures to strengthen our borders so that drug and human traffickers and gang members in particular cannot make it into this country. And it should include fixing E-Verify, making it mandatory for employers and ensuring that we have robust resources in place to train businesses on how to properly use the system. I do not support abolishing ICE. We must support our local and federal law enforcement who put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and make sure they have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively. We should change policies around family separation so officers can focus instead on effective border security, interior enforcement, and protecting our communities. Above all else, Washington politicians must step up to the plate and pass badly needed reform that will strengthen our economy and our communities, and make us safer, instead of falling victim to partisan politics and political gridlock yet again. Standing with Our Veterans As the proud granddaughter of a World War II Purple Heart recipient who walked around with shrapnel in his leg until the day he died, for me standing with our veterans, service members, and their loved ones is standing with family. Our brave veterans put their lives on the line to serve our nation. Unfortunately, partisan politics have let them down. The lip service must end. These heroes deserve the utmost dignity and respect in their care and services, and I believe it is our duty to ensure that they receive the benefits they have earned. In Congress, I’ll fight to increase access to healthcare services and economic opportunities for veterans. We must streamline communication between VA and non-VA healthcare providers so that any veteran seeking healthcare treatment, mental or physical, is given the care they need. We must also support programs that give military families and caregivers training on post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction. Our veterans need to have access to economic and educational opportunities when they return home. In Congress, I’ll work to expand access to capital for veterans seeking to start a small business, and I’ll support funding for the GI Bill.	”
—Finkenauer for Congress

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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.

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.

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.

2016 presidential results by state House district
District	Obama	Romney	2012 Margin	Clinton	Trump	2016 Margin	Party Control
1	30.96%	67.78%	R+36.8	22.23%	73.81%	R+51.6	R
2	41.86%	56.83%	R+15	27.53%	67.70%	R+40.2	R
3	31.57%	67.31%	R+35.7	20.73%	74.78%	R+54.1	R
4	15.63%	83.55%	R+67.9	12.95%	81.67%	R+68.7	R
5	33.00%	65.90%	R+32.9	22.28%	73.69%	R+51.4	R
6	44.39%	54.40%	R+10	32.54%	62.36%	R+29.8	R
7	46.87%	51.82%	R+5	31.96%	62.86%	R+30.9	R
8	43.04%	55.84%	R+12.8	28.52%	67.11%	R+38.6	R
9	54.26%	44.65%	D+9.6	39.33%	55.29%	R+16	D
10	40.15%	58.39%	R+18.2	25.64%	69.78%	R+44.1	R
11	42.76%	56.17%	R+13.4	30.87%	64.40%	R+33.5	R
12	46.14%	52.95%	R+6.8	30.92%	64.32%	R+33.4	R
13	54.28%	44.37%	D+9.9	42.30%	52.03%	R+9.7	D
14	59.33%	39.34%	D+20	47.69%	47.27%	D+0.4	D
15	57.12%	41.17%	D+16	41.89%	51.48%	R+9.6	D
16	52.01%	46.46%	D+5.5	41.84%	51.76%	R+9.9	R
17	41.10%	57.71%	R+16.6	25.76%	70.01%	R+44.3	R
18	41.98%	56.88%	R+14.9	28.11%	67.52%	R+39.4	R
19	40.80%	57.87%	R+17.1	36.54%	56.73%	R+20.2	R
20	48.77%	49.62%	R+0.9	35.39%	59.04%	R+23.6	R
21	45.01%	53.64%	R+8.6	29.35%	65.17%	R+35.8	R
22	36.78%	62.08%	R+25.3	29.64%	65.50%	R+35.9	R
23	40.72%	57.80%	R+17.1	27.37%	66.81%	R+39.4	R
24	39.86%	58.79%	R+18.9	25.77%	69.86%	R+44.1	R
25	44.34%	54.14%	R+9.8	34.15%	59.72%	R+25.6	R
26	50.18%	48.59%	D+1.6	39.62%	53.52%	R+13.9	D
27	47.15%	51.07%	R+3.9	30.50%	64.42%	R+33.9	R
28	47.30%	51.30%	R+4	31.76%	62.81%	R+31.1	R
29	56.05%	42.50%	D+13.6	40.78%	53.23%	R+12.5	D
30	47.66%	50.85%	R+3.2	38.47%	54.84%	R+16.4	R
31	61.55%	36.86%	D+24.7	49.75%	43.99%	D+5.8	D
32	72.88%	25.37%	D+47.5	63.69%	30.28%	D+33.4	D
33	67.30%	31.37%	D+35.9	59.50%	34.55%	D+25	D
34	68.16%	30.10%	D+38.1	60.44%	33.19%	D+27.2	D
35	77.01%	21.48%	D+55.5	70.40%	23.46%	D+46.9	D
36	65.21%	33.12%	D+32.1	63.13%	29.46%	D+33.7	D
37	43.30%	55.35%	R+12	42.10%	50.50%	R+8.4	R
38	49.33%	49.21%	D+0.1	42.85%	49.84%	R+7	R
39	43.02%	55.76%	R+12.7	43.93%	48.99%	R+5.1	R
40	49.31%	49.53%	R+0.2	50.25%	43.32%	D+6.9	D
41	67.93%	30.50%	D+37.4	69.25%	24.10%	D+45.2	D
42	49.85%	48.83%	D+1	51.15%	42.19%	D+9	R
43	50.58%	48.29%	D+2.3	52.50%	41.03%	D+11.5	R
44	42.52%	56.60%	R+14.1	44.97%	47.76%	R+2.8	R
45	60.66%	36.80%	D+23.9	57.79%	31.85%	D+25.9	D
46	59.66%	37.96%	D+21.7	57.22%	33.12%	D+24.1	D
47	52.11%	46.29%	D+5.8	38.31%	54.96%	R+16.6	R
48	47.95%	50.46%	R+2.5	36.50%	56.98%	R+20.5	R
49	46.50%	51.88%	R+5.4	36.62%	55.49%	R+18.9	R
50	42.94%	55.95%	R+13	30.36%	64.36%	R+34	R
51	55.19%	43.48%	D+11.7	35.67%	58.91%	R+23.2	R
52	56.04%	42.88%	D+13.2	37.76%	56.73%	R+19	D
53	60.98%	37.92%	D+23.1	47.69%	46.65%	D+1	D
54	44.96%	53.94%	R+9	32.11%	62.71%	R+30.6	R
55	55.19%	43.44%	D+11.8	43.51%	50.62%	R+7.1	R
56	52.01%	46.73%	D+5.3	34.91%	59.80%	R+24.9	R
57	49.00%	49.98%	R+1	37.25%	57.49%	R+20.2	R
58	55.60%	43.22%	D+12.4	37.06%	57.82%	R+20.8	R
59	56.29%	42.22%	D+14.1	51.94%	40.87%	D+11.1	D
60	50.15%	48.91%	D+1.2	45.19%	48.75%	R+3.6	R
61	63.73%	35.14%	D+28.6	52.34%	42.07%	D+10.3	D
62	76.37%	22.58%	D+53.8	62.14%	32.64%	D+29.5	D
63	49.95%	48.93%	D+1	39.04%	55.06%	R+16	R
64	57.83%	41.00%	D+16.8	40.27%	53.42%	R+13.1	D
65	66.77%	31.71%	D+35.1	61.58%	31.29%	D+30.3	D
66	57.43%	41.04%	D+16.4	53.11%	39.91%	D+13.2	D
67	49.18%	49.50%	R+0.3	47.22%	45.74%	D+1.5	R
68	54.45%	44.08%	D+10.4	48.20%	44.50%	D+3.7	R
69	65.87%	32.63%	D+33.2	52.73%	40.24%	D+12.5	D
70	63.00%	35.67%	D+27.3	53.85%	39.20%	D+14.7	D
71	56.62%	42.23%	D+14.4	48.02%	46.57%	D+1.5	D
72	50.86%	47.88%	D+3	34.92%	59.56%	R+24.6	R
73	54.19%	44.65%	D+9.5	43.25%	51.15%	R+7.9	R
74	67.17%	31.21%	D+36	69.14%	24.89%	D+44.3	D
75	49.36%	49.39%	R+0	34.09%	60.12%	R+26	R
76	50.61%	47.97%	D+2.6	40.64%	53.90%	R+13.3	R
77	58.46%	40.34%	D+18.1	53.49%	39.62%	D+13.9	D
78	46.21%	51.69%	R+5.5	34.06%	60.08%	R+26	R
79	35.86%	62.79%	R+26.9	25.96%	67.84%	R+41.9	R
80	45.03%	53.56%	R+8.5	27.04%	68.71%	R+41.7	R
81	56.57%	41.86%	D+14.7	39.52%	55.89%	R+16.4	D
82	49.74%	47.90%	D+1.8	36.54%	57.76%	R+21.2	D
83	58.67%	39.72%	D+19	40.42%	53.35%	R+12.9	D
84	46.37%	52.04%	R+5.7	30.59%	63.23%	R+32.6	R
85	71.79%	26.07%	D+45.7	74.26%	19.90%	D+54.4	D
86	72.99%	24.97%	D+48	72.34%	21.06%	D+51.3	D
87	62.60%	36.08%	D+26.5	48.53%	45.49%	D+3	D
88	50.88%	47.86%	D+3	35.94%	58.76%	R+22.8	R
89	63.19%	35.77%	D+27.4	52.47%	40.86%	D+11.6	D
90	73.49%	24.97%	D+48.5	57.98%	34.93%	D+23.1	D
91	57.61%	40.97%	D+16.6	43.65%	49.75%	R+6.1	R
92	53.94%	45.00%	D+8.9	42.25%	51.61%	R+9.4	R
93	56.63%	42.22%	D+14.4	50.96%	42.21%	D+8.7	D
94	45.18%	53.87%	R+8.7	43.91%	50.10%	R+6.2	R
95	52.01%	46.69%	D+5.3	41.86%	51.59%	R+9.7	R
96	51.83%	47.01%	D+4.8	35.42%	58.91%	R+23.5	R
97	50.63%	47.95%	D+2.7	37.14%	56.46%	R+19.3	R
98	65.29%	33.50%	D+31.8	48.47%	45.38%	D+3.1	D
99	59.37%	39.28%	D+20.1	52.61%	41.12%	D+11.5	D
100	62.95%	35.58%	D+27.4	51.37%	42.25%	D+9.1	D
Total	52.23%	46.40%	D+5.8	42.23%	51.72%	R+9.5	-
Source: Daily Kos

District history

2016

See also: Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2016

Iowa's 1st Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Rod Blum (R) won re-election to his second term, defeating Monica Vernon (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Vernon defeated Patrick Murphy in the Democratic primary, while Blum faced no primary challenger. The primary elections took place on June 7, 2016.

U.S. House, Iowa District 1 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rod Blum Incumbent	53.7%	206,903
	Democratic	Monica Vernon	46.1%	177,403
	N/A	Write-in	0.2%	671
Total Votes				384,977
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

U.S. House, Iowa District 1 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Monica Vernon	67.6%	21,032
Patrick Murphy	32.4%	10,090
Total Votes		31,122
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

2014

See also: Iowa's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014

The 1st Congressional District of Iowa held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Rod Blum (R) defeated Pat Murphy (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Iowa District 1 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Pat Murphy	48.8%	141,145
	Republican	Rod Blum	51.1%	147,762
	Write-in	Other	0.1%	399
Total Votes				289,306
Source: Iowa Secretary of State Official Results

State overview

Partisan control

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

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats in Iowa.
• Republicans held three U.S. House seats in Iowa and a Democrat held the fourth.

State executives

• As of September 2018, Republicans held five of 12 state executive positions, Democrats held two, and the remaining positions were officially nonpartisan.
• The governor of Iowa was Republican Kim Reynolds. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.

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:

• 4 U.S. House seats
• Governor and lieutenant governor
• 5 lower state executive positions
• 25 of 50 state Senate seats
• 100 state House seats
• 2 state legislative seats in special elections

Demographics

Demographic data for Iowa
	Iowa	U.S.
Total population:	3,121,997	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	55,857	3,531,905
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).

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	Donald Trump	50.7%	Hillary Clinton	41.3%	9.4%
2012	Barack Obama	51.7%	Mitt Romney	46.0%	5.7%
2008	Barack Obama	53.7%	John McCain	44.2%	9.5%
2004	George W. Bush	49.9%	John Kerry	49.2%	0.7%
2000	Al Gore	48.5%	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	Chuck Grassley	60.1%	Patty Judge	35.7%	24.4%
2014	Joni Ernst	51.5%	Bruce Braley	43.3%	8.2%
2010	Chuck Grassley	63.4%	Roxanne Conlin	32.8%	30.6%
2008	Tom Harkin	61.4%	Christopher Reed	36.5%	24.9%
2004	Chuck Grassley	70.2%	Arthur Small	27.9%	42.3%
2002	Tom Harkin	54.2%	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	Terry Branstad	58.4%	Jack Hatch	36.9%	21.5%
2010	Terry Branstad	52.3%	Chet Culver	42.8%	9.5%
2006	Chet Culver	53.7%	Jim Nussle	44.1%	9.6%
2002	Tom Vilsack	52.7%	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	3	75.0%	1	25.0%	R+2
2014	3	75.0%	1	25.0%	R+2
2012	2	50.0%	2	50.0%	Split
2010	2	40.0%	3	60.0%	D+1
2008	2	40.0%	3	60.0%	D+1
2006	2	40.0%	3	60.0%	D+1
2004	4	80.0%	1	20.0%	R+3
2002	4	80.0%	1	20.0%	R+3
2000	4	80.0%	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

See also

• Iowa's 1st Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 Democratic primary)
• Iowa's 1st Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 Republican primary)
• United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 2018
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2018

Footnotes

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Iowa's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Joni Ernst (R)

Chuck Grassley (R)

Representatives

District 1

Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)

District 2

Ashley Hinson (R)

District 3

Zach Nunn (R)

District 4

Randy Feenstra (R)

Republican Party (6)