DES MOINES, Iowa – Six incumbent lawmakers lost their bid to be renominated by Republicans in their Iowa House districts.
State Rep. Dennis Bush, R-Cherokee, was defeated by Zachary Dieken of Granville in Iowa House District 5. Dieken won 55.81 percent of the vote to Bush’s 24.20 percent. Thomas Kuiper of Sibley came in third with 19.96 percent.
State Rep. Jon Thorup, R-Knoxville, was defeated by Barb Kniff McCulla of Pella in Iowa House District 37 by over 40 percent – 70.18 percent to 29.94 percent.
State Rep. Dean Fisher, R-Montour, defeated State Rep. David Maxwell in Iowa House District 53. They were placed in the same district after redistricting. Fisher won 62.28 percent of the vote, followed by Maxwell with 37.54 percent.
State Rep. Steven Bradley, R-Cascade, defeated State Rep. Lee Hein, R-Monticello, in Iowa House District 66. Bradley won 55.36 percent of the vote, with Hein trailing with 44.57 percent.
State Rep. Jeff Shipley, R-Birmingham, defeated State Rep. Joe Mitchell, R-Mount Pleasant, 54.80 percent to 45.03 percent in Iowa House District 87.
State Rep. Dustin Hite, R-New Sharon, lost to Helena Hayes of New Sharon, 57.37 percent to 42.51 percent in Iowa House District 88.
School choice was an issue in several races. Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed Deiken over Bush, McCulla over Thorup, and Fisher over Maxwell. Hite’s opponent also challenged his record on school choice.
In Iowa House District 66, abortion was a wedge issue. Hein voted against the fetal heartbeat abortion ban and voted against HJR 5, which would add abortion neutrality language to Iowa’s Constitution. Bradley voted for that proposed amendment.
