IOWA ELECTIONS 2026 · STATEWIDE GUIDE
Five offices. Ten candidates.
Get to know the people and questions
on your November 3 ballot.
STATEWIDE OFFICE
Leads Iowa’s Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, which supports agriculture and administers programs for animal health, food safety, and consumer protection. The department also works on soil conservation and water quality.
Official responsibilities (opens in a new tab)Republican
Background
Iowa secretary of agriculture and former deputy secretary, with a career in agriculture and roots on a crop-and-livestock farm near Cylinder.
Stated priorities
Expand conservation and water-quality programs; support markets for Iowa agricultural products and biofuels; grow Choose Iowa, local food and meat-processing opportunities. In the October 2 Iowa PBS discussion, he called for additional conservation funding and scaling existing programs statewide.
Democratic
Background
Water-quality researcher and author whose career includes Des Moines Water Works and the Iowa Soybean Association; co-founder of Driftless Water Defenders.
Stated priorities
Diversify crops and rural economies; help farmers transition to lower-pollution practices while strengthening pollution regulation; expand local food processing and access. His platform also calls for a gradual shift away from reliance on corn ethanol.
STATEWIDE OFFICE
Serves as Iowa’s chief legal officer, advising and representing state government in legal matters. The office also handles criminal prosecutions, consumer protection, and efforts to combat fraud and corruption.
Official responsibilities (opens in a new tab)THE RACE AT A GLANCE
Brenna Bird (R), the incumbent, faces Nate Willems (D). The latest verified survey puts them 0.5 points apart, with one in five voters undecided. That is not a meaningful lead given the poll’s uncertainty.
Latest fieldwork: September 9–11 · Cygnal / ITR Foundation · 500 likely voters · reported margin of error ±4.38 points. Released September 15. Original toplines ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Both surveys come from the same pollster and sponsor. Different respondents, not a panel. No average, trend extrapolation or allocation of undecided voters.
HISTORICAL BASELINE
Bird won 611,432 votes to Tom Miller’s 590,890, a 20,542-vote margin. A close previous result is context, not a prediction for a different electorate and opponent.
Official 2022 canvass ↗ (opens in a new tab)ANALYST ASSESSMENT
Louis Jacobson, August 20, 2026, moved Iowa from “Likely” to “Leans Republican.” This is his assessment in Sabato’s Crystal Ball, not one of the publication’s formal race ratings.
Read the assessment ↗ (opens in a new tab)PREDICTION MARKET
Polymarket lists this race. Its displayed figures were inconsistent across the page when checked October 20, so no numerical probability is reproduced here. Market prices are not vote shares.
View market & liquidity ↗ (opens in a new tab)Cash on hand at October 14. Rounded for display; exact amounts and source reports below. Fundraising measures resources, not voter support.
Bird: cash contributions $4,606,880.97; expenditures $7,907,670.87; closing cash $3,505,501.20; in-kind contributions $249,866.90; unpaid bills $436.24; loans $0. Bird official report ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Willems: cash contributions $3,115,914.05; expenditures $4,102,100.29; closing cash $1,684,624.71; in-kind contributions $314.27; unpaid bills and loans $0. Willems official report ↗ (opens in a new tab)
These are candidate-committee reports filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. Cash contributions exclude in-kind support. Figures are not cycle-to-date totals and do not measure all outside spending.
| Fieldwork / release | Bird (R) | Willems (D) | Undecided | Sample / uncertainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 9–11 (opens in a new tab)Released September 15, 2026 | 39.5% | 40.0% | 20.5% | 500 likely voters±4.38 percentage points |
| June 16–19 (opens in a new tab)Released June 26, 2026 | 43.6% | 39.0% | 17.4% | 600 likely voters±4.00 percentage points |
Cygnal conducted both polls for Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation using live-phone and SMS interviews with known registered voters, weighted to a likely general-election electorate. Attorney general is question 13 in each original report. The sponsor is an advocacy organization; sponsorship is disclosed so readers can assess the evidence.
The reported margins of error apply to each survey, not directly to the difference between candidates. Sampling error is only one source of uncertainty. Question wording, weighting, turnout and nonresponse also matter. The 2022 margin is calculated from the official canvass including 801 write-in votes; shares rounded to two decimals yield Bird 50.82% and Miller 49.11%.
Coverage: two verified public head-to-head polls located through October 20. No newer verified attorney general poll was located in this review. This is not a claim that unpublished or inaccessible surveys do not exist. Commentary, markets and past results remain separate from polling and do not alter contest scoring or automatic-pick rules.
September Cygnal survey, Bird favorability: 19.3% favorable, 29.8% unfavorable, 20.6% no opinion and 30.3% never heard of her (question 8). June: 23.5%, 24.9%, 18.6% and 33.0%, respectively. These are from the same two surveys above, not additional polls. No equivalent Willems measure was verified, so this is not a candidate-to-candidate favorability comparison.
Older publicly reported polling with incomplete methods or ballot details is not included in the numerical chart. A November 2025 Forward Iowa Education Fund memo reports 41% Bird, 41% Willems and 17% undecided, a 99% rounded total; it does not establish the full methods needed for this series. View the historical memo ↗ (opens in a new tab) No missing shares have been filled in.
Republican
Background
Iowa attorney general since January 2023; previously Guthrie County attorney and counsel to Governor Terry Branstad.
Stated priorities
Continue the office's cold-case work; create a special victims unit focused on crimes including child sexual exploitation and human trafficking; defend Iowa laws and constitutional rights in state and federal litigation.
Democratic
Background
Labor attorney based in eastern Iowa whose practice includes representing workers in pay and employment disputes; former Iowa state representative.
Stated priorities
Create dedicated wage-theft enforcement; strengthen consumer and senior protections; enforce environmental laws and pursue corporate wrongdoing. He says the office should concentrate more heavily on issues affecting Iowans.
In their joint candidate interview, Brenna Bird emphasized cold-case prosecutions, a planned special-victims unit and consumer protection. Nate Willems emphasized enforcing wage laws and helping workers recover unpaid wages.
They disagreed over election-fraud prosecutions and federal nursing-home staffing rules. Bird defended pursuing election cases and said the staffing mandates threatened rural facilities; Willems questioned the handling of prosecutions and argued for stronger nursing-home safeguards. These are the candidates’ positions, as described in the program.
Watch the October 9 Iowa PBS interview and read the transcript
STATEWIDE OFFICE
Oversees Iowa’s election system in coordination with county auditors, including statewide voter registration and guidance for local election officials. The office also accepts business filings and administers the Safe at Home address confidentiality program.
Official responsibilities (opens in a new tab)Republican
Background
Iowa secretary of state, former Cedar Rapids mayor and former state legislator.
Stated priorities and record
Emphasizes voter identification, election security and access for eligible voters, including military voters. His office describes paper ballots, equipment testing, post-election audits and cybersecurity partnerships as its security approach, and highlights online business filing and the Safe at Home address-confidentiality program.
Democratic
Background
Former Navy officer and aviator whose service included defense-policy work in the U.S. Senate and officer development at the Naval Academy.
Stated priorities
Protect personal information through data-minimization and cybersecurity reviews; publish clear election guidance and policy changes; strengthen coordination with county auditors; simplify forms and set measurable response standards for voters and businesses.
STATEWIDE OFFICE
Manages state cash and investments, keeping public funds available for the state’s obligations. The office also administers education and disability savings programs and returns unclaimed property through Great Iowa Treasure Hunt.
Official responsibilities (opens in a new tab)Republican
Background
Iowa treasurer seeking a second term; previously served three terms in the Iowa Senate and worked in banking.
Stated priorities
Continue active management of state investments; return unclaimed property through the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt and Money Match; expand use of savings and linked-investment programs, including assistance for small businesses.
Democratic
Background
Business consultant who has coached and advised small businesses; former soil-and-water conservation commissioner.
Stated priorities
Defend IPERS pension benefits; make state financial information clearer; expand access to education savings; direct more state deposits and linked investments through Iowa financial institutions to support local businesses.
The October 16 Iowa Press discussion with John Norwood and Roby Smith is available to watch, with an official transcript. The interview was recorded October 9.
Watch the Treasurer candidate discussion · Read the official transcript
STATEWIDE OFFICE
Audits state and local government finances and investigates suspected misuse of public funds. The office also reviews local-government audits prepared by CPA firms and publishes audit and examination reports.
Official responsibilities (opens in a new tab)Republican
Background
Iowa lieutenant governor and former state senator, with a computer-science and private-sector technology background; previously served on the Pleasant Valley school board.
Stated priorities
Use data analysis, automation and AI to improve auditing and find inefficiencies; work with local governments and accounting professionals; strengthen the accounting workforce and promote public financial transparency.
Democratic
Background
Muscatine attorney whose work has included international trade, national-security matters and corporate transactions.
Stated priorities
Preserve independent oversight of taxpayer money and stronger access to information; investigate waste, fraud and abuse regardless of party; use technology and work with CPAs to support audits and investigations.
The proposed constitutional amendment would require at least two-thirds of the elected members of each legislative chamber to approve increases in state individual or corporate income-tax rates, other rates based on income or legal and special reserves, or a new state tax on those bases. Taxes imposed at a local government’s option are excluded.
A Yes vote adopts this constitutional requirement; a No vote leaves the constitution unchanged. The measure itself sets no tax rate. It gives one year to file a lawsuit challenging a bill’s proper enactment under this provision; if no lawsuit is filed within that period, the bill is considered properly enacted under this section. Each covered bill must include a separate provision describing the enactment requirements. The General Assembly must enact implementing laws. Read the enrolled amendment, SJR 11.
October 1–4: Yes 39.6% · No 36% · Undecided 24% · Refused 0.4%.
500 likely voters · Live telephone interviews · ±4.4-point sampling margin · Released October 7.
In Suffolk’s August 20–23 survey, Yes was 32.6%, No 36.2%, undecided 30.4% and refused 0.8%. The observed increase in Yes responses is 7 percentage points; it does not establish statistical significance or individual voters switching positions. Both questionnaires use the same Amendment 1 wording. The poll’s description is a summary; the legal scope is explained above.
October questionnaire · Q10 · August questionnaire · Q10 · October methods
Cygnal / ITR Foundation · September 9–11, 2026 · Released September 15. This is an earlier survey, added here for context, not a new October poll.
When read the official ballot summary (Q15): Yes 43.8% · No 20.4% · Undecided 35.8%. A separate short question (Q16) described a two-thirds legislative vote requirement for “any tax increase” and added that it would make income-tax increases harder: Yes 68.3% · No 17.7% · Undecided 14%. That broader phrasing and added framing differ from the official ballot summary.
500 likely general-election voters statewide · Live phone and SMS interviews · Pollster-reported margin of error ±4.38 points. Sponsored by Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation. These are two questions in the same survey, not independent polls or evidence of change over time. The different wording prevents a like-for-like comparison with Suffolk’s results.
Sponsor’s September 15 release and methodology · Original questionnaire and toplines
NONPARTISAN BALLOT QUESTIONS
On November 3, all Iowa voters will be asked whether to retain three judges on the Iowa Court of Appeals. These are separate Yes or No questions, with no opposing candidate. A majority Yes vote retains a judge for a full six-year term; a No vote rejects retention rather than choosing a replacement.
The Court of Appeals reviews trial-court decisions referred by the Iowa Supreme Court. It reviews the existing record for legal error rather than holding a new trial. Regular Court of Appeals terms are six years.
IOWA COURT OF APPEALS
Appointed to the Court of Appeals in August 2019. Previously a district associate judge beginning in 2012 and a district judge beginning in 2017.
Her earlier work included private practice in Denison, prosecution in Crawford County and service as an assistant city attorney. She earned her law degree at Creighton University in 1993.
Official judicial biographyIOWA COURT OF APPEALS
Appointed to the Court of Appeals in April 2019. Previously practiced law with Cartwright, Druker and Ryden in Marshalltown.
She earned her undergraduate degree at Iowa State University and law degree at the University of Iowa. Her professional service has included civil-procedure, jury-instruction and children's-justice committees.
Official judicial biographyIOWA COURT OF APPEALS
Appointed to the Court of Appeals in June 2024 after serving as a district judge since March 2021.
His earlier work included Sandy Law Firm and service as a first assistant public defender in Minnesota. He earned his law degree at the University of St. Thomas in 2010.
Official judicial biographyConsider professional competence, legal knowledge, fairness, impartiality and judicial temperament. Read official biographies and the 2026 Iowa State Bar Association Judicial Performance Review. The review is an anonymous survey of Iowa-licensed attorneys familiar with the judges’ work. Results reflect participating attorneys’ assessments, not election results or an Iowa Decides endorsement; responses are not independently verified and the report assigns no overall rating. A biography describes experience; it is not a performance rating or a recommendation.
Additional trial-judge retention questions depend on your judicial district. Check your county auditor's sample ballot for the judges you will see. Judicial retention is not part of the Prediction Tool.
Judicial information as of October 12, 2026. Iowa Decides does not endorse retention choices.
Candidate names and party labels follow the official general-election list, dated August 19, 2026. Office descriptions follow the linked state sources.
Official candidate list (PDF)