Iowa House, Senate candidates from Des Moines area
Bulk of races expected to be competitive
The field of candidates is set for Iowa’s June 4 primary elections, where a number of races for the Iowa Legislature are expected to be competitive.
Candidates for the Iowa House and Senate were required to file papers with the Secretary of State’s office by 5 p.m. on March 15 in order to appear on the ballot. This year, all 100 Iowa House seats and 25 of the 50 Iowa Senate seats will be on the ballot.
Republicans hold a 64-seat majority in the House and a 34-seat majority in the Senate.
The Des Moines metro area has seen some of the most highly contested legislative races in the state in recent elections. And that trend is expected to continue this year.
Democrats in several districts will need to choose candidates in contested primaries.
In Des Moines’ House District 34, four candidates are running to replace retiring Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad.
Two Democrats are on the ballot in House District 44 in Urbandale as they seek to replace retiring Rep. John Forbes, who is running for Polk County supervisor.
Democratic Sen. Claire Celsi also faces a primary challenge from Julie Lasche Brown in Senate District 16 in West Des Moines.
On the Republican side:
Two candidates are facing off in House District 41 in Ankeny as they seek to take on Democratic Rep. Molly Buck.
And Samantha Fett and former Rep. Garrett Gobble are running against each other in the Republican primary in House District 22, which includes Norwalk.
This fall, the Des Moines metro is expected to see several marquee Senate races.
Democrats will be defending West Des Moines-based Senate District 14, held by Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott. She faces a challenge from Dallas County Supervisor Mark Hanson.
In Senate District 20, Democratic Sen. Nate Boulton hopes to fend off a challenge from Republican Mike Pike.
And Republicans will be defending incumbent Sen. Brad Zaun in Urbandale-based Senate District 22. Zaun faces a challenge from Democrat Matt Blake, who serves on the Urbandale City Council.
Republican leaders in the House and Senate expressed confidence they’ll increase their majorities this year.
“When you have a large 64-seat majority, obviously you’re going to be in a position where you want to be defending a lot of those seats,” House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said Thursday. “But ... as we look across the state there are other opportunities that we continue to have.”
Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, pointed to Trone Garriott and Boulton’s seats as two races where Republicans believe they can be competitive.
“I’m very excited about the candidates that we have for this election coming up,” he said. “We have found candidates, good candidates, in all the key districts that we think we have a chance to pick up.”
House Democratic leader Rep. Jennifer Konfrst said in a statement that “everyday Iowans are standing up to be part of the solution by running for the Iowa House.”
Konfrst said Republicans’ push to overhaul Area Education Agencies, reproductive freedom and the state’s private school voucher system are among the things motivating Democrats to run for election.
“I am fully committed to doing all we can to get more Democrats in the Iowa House in 2024 as we build back to balanced representation in the statehouse. We know Iowa is a purple state, where Iowa voters value leaders who put people over politics. And in November, the tide will start to turn,” Konfrst said.
Tyler Redenbaugh, executive director of the Senate Majority Fund, said Senate Democrats’ candidates are running to offer Iowans “a better deal for Iowa.”
“Our candidates are everyday Iowans who are active in their communities, which gives them the advantage of understanding the issues facing their families, friends, and neighbors,” he said in a statement.
Here’s who is running for the Iowa Legislature in central Iowa. Click the link to see a map of the district or find yours on the Iowa Legislature’s website, www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find.
House District 21
Brooke Boden, Republican Spencer A. Waugh, Democrat
House District 22
Samantha Fett, Republican Garrett Gobble, Republican Rory D. Taylor, Democrat
House District 23
Ray Bubba Sorensen, Republican Karen Varley, Democrat
House District 27
Oliver Bardwell, Republican Kenan Judge, Democrat
House District 28
Chad Brewbaker, Republican Laura Snider, Democrat David Young, Republican
House District 29
Brian Meyer, Democrat
House District 30
Megan L. Srinivas, Democrat
House District 31
Mary Lee Madison, Democrat
House District 32
Jennifer Konfrst, Democrat
House District 33
Ruth Ann Gaines, Democrat
House District 34
John R. Campbell Jr., Democrat Danielle Duggan, Republican Samy El-Baroudi, Democrat Rob Johnson, Democrat Dudley Muhammad, Democrat
House District 35
Sean Bagniewski, Democrat David G. Green, Libertarian Daniel Schmude, Republican Angela Kay Schreader, Republican
House District 36
Austin Baeth, Democrat
House District 37
Barb Kniff McCulla, Republican
House District 38
Jon Dunwell, Republican Brad Magg, Democrat
House District 39
Rick L. Olson, Democrat
House District 40
Bill Gustoff, Republican Heather Sievers, Democrat