DES MOINES, Iowa – Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg led off election night, winning a second full term, and down the ballot, Republicans are on the verge of sweeping every state executive office.
The Associated Press and Fox News called the race early, shortly after the polls closed at 8:00 pm.
With 96 of 99 counties reporting, Reynolds/Gregg won 58.33 percent of the vote (701,609), followed by the Democratic ticket Deidre DeJear and Eric Van Lancker, who pulled in 39.23 percent of the vote (471,826). The Libertarian Party ticket Rick Stewart and Marco Battaglia followed, earning 2.38 percent (28,590).
Reynolds became governor in 2017 after Governor Terry Branstad resigned after his confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to China. Reynolds won the office in 2018, defeating Democratic businessman Fred Hubbell in a much closer race.
DeJear ran for governor following an unsuccessful bid for Iowa Secretary of State. Rick Stewart was the 2020 Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate. If the Libertarian Party’s percentage of the vote hold, they will regain the major party status they lost after the 2018 gubernatorial election.
Reynolds held a double-digit lead in all polling throughout the race. She outraised DeJear almost two to one giving her the ability to help fund down-ballot races. Reynolds ran on her support of tax cuts, school choice, parental rights, and the fetal heartbeat abortion ban she signed into law which was later blocked in district court.
Iowa Republicans have won four down-ballot races and could win a fifth in a tight race.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, won re-election to a third consecutive term, defeating his Democratic challenger Joel Miller 60.36 percent (715,486) to 39.58 percent (469,209).
(Update 9:37 am) In the State Auditor race, a change took place overnight in the closest statewide race, Democrat incumbent Rob Sand took the lead with 97 of 99 counties reporting, with Linn County sending in their results.. Sand has 50.10 percent of the vote compared to Republican Todd Halbur’s 49.83 percent leading by 3,169 votes. Des Moines and Warren counties have yet to complete sending their results to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office.
In the State Treasurer race, Republican State Senator Roby Smith defeated long-time Democrat incumbent Michael Fitzgerald, 51.54 percent (608,519) to 48.41 percent (571,542).
Republican incumbent Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig defeated his Democrat challenger, John Norwood, 61.43 percent (722,383) to 38.50 percent (452,786).
In the Attorney General race, Republican Brenna Bird ousted Democrat incumbent Tom Miller, the longest-serving attorney general in the nation, 51.11 percent (605,236) to 48.82 percent (578,089).
