2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa
The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, to elect the four U.S. Representatives from the state of Iowa, one from each of the state's four congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including Governor of Iowa and United States Senate. Primary elections were held on June 4, 2014. As no candidate won more than 35% of the vote in the 3rd district Republican primary, that nomination was decided at a party convention on June 21.
Overview
By district
Results of the 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa by district:District 1
Representative Bruce Braley won re-election in 2012. He will not run for re-election in 2014, as he will instead run for the United States Senate seat being vacated by fellow Democrat Tom Harkin, who is retiring.Democratic primary
Candidates
;Declared- Swati Dandekar, member of the Iowa Utilities Board and former state senator
- Anesa Kajtazovic, state representative
- Pat Murphy, state representative and former Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives
- Dave O'Brien, attorney and candidate for Iowa's 6th congressional district in 1988
- Monica Vernon, Cedar Rapids City Councilwoman
- Bruce Braley, incumbent U.S. Representative
- Jeff Danielson, state senator
- Pam Jochum, state senator
- Liz Mathis, state senator
- Tyler Olson, state representative and former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party
- Steve Sodders, state senator
Endorsements
Polling
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
;Declared;Withdrew
- Walt Rogers, state representative
- Ben Lange, attorney and nominee in 2010 and 2012
- Paul Pate, former mayor of Cedar Rapids, former Iowa Secretary of State and former state senator
- Kraig Paulsen, Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives
- Renee Schulte, former state representative
Endorsements
Polling
Results
General election
Polling
Results
District 2
Democratic Representative David Loebsack has represented Iowa's 2nd district since 2007. He was elected to a fourth term in 2012 against Republican John Archer with 56% of the vote.Democratic primary
Candidates
;Declared- David Loebsack, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
;Declared- Mark Lofgren, state representative
- Mariannette Miller-Meeks, ophthamologist, former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health and nominee for the seat in 2008 and 2010
- Matthew C. Waldren
Polling
Results
General election
Polling
Results
District 3
Prior to the 2012 elections, Republican Representative Tom Latham and Democratic Representative Leonard Boswell were redistricted into the same district. Though Barack Obama carried the district in the 2012 presidential election, Latham defeated Boswell. Latham is retiring in 2014.Republican primary
Candidates
;Declared- Robert Cramer, bridge construction contractor and chairman of the board of The Family Leader
- Joe Grandanette, teacher and business owner
- Matt Schultz, Iowa Secretary of State
- Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association
- David Young, former chief of staff to Senator Chuck Grassley and former candidate for the U.S. Senate
- Brad Zaun, state senator and nominee in 2010
- Jeff Ballenger, businessman and candidate for IA-05 in 2002
- Jake Chapman, state senator
- Peter Cownie, state representative
- Joni Ernst, state senator
- Brenna Findley, legal counsel for Governor Branstad and nominee for attorney general in 2010
- David Fischer, vice-chair of the Republican Party of Iowa
- Steve Gaer, Mayor of West Des Moines
- Chris Hagenow, state representative
- Mary Ann Hanusa, state representative
- Mark Jacobs, former CEO of Reliant Energy
- Jeff Lamberti, former president of the Iowa Senate and nominee in 2006
- Tom Latham, incumbent U.S. Representative
- Isaiah McGee, Waukee City Councilman
- David Oman, businessman and candidate for governor in 1998
- Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
- Charles Schneider, state senator
- Brent Siegrist, former Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives
- Matt Strawn, former chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa
- Rob Taylor, state representative
- Bob Vander Plaats, social conservative activist, candidate for governor in 2002, 2006 and 2010 and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2006
- Matthew Whitaker, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa and nominee for Treasurer of Iowa in 2002
- Jack Whitver, state senator
Endorsements
Polling
Results
Convention
The Republican nomination was decided by a convention after none of the six candidates reached the 35 percent threshold required to make the general election ballot. This was the second time in 50 years that a convention picked a nominee and the first time since 2002, when then-State Senator Steve King won a convention held in Iowa's 5th congressional district to decide the Republican nominee for Congress. A poll conducted by the conservative website Caffeinated Thoughts of 118 of the 513 delegates was held on June 9–10. David Young and Brad Zaun took 27% each, with Robert Cramer on 19%, Monte Shaw on 14%, Matt Schultz on 8% and Joe Grandanette on 3% with another 3% undecided. 34% chose Young as their second choice, with 17% choosing Cramer, Schultz or Zaun, 10% picking Shaw and 3% picking Grandanette with 8% undecided.On June 21, in what was described as a "stunning upset", David Young won the nomination on the fifth ballot of the convention.
On July 4, Zaun voiced his disappointment and suggested he would leave the Republican Party, leading some to encourage him to run for the seat as an Independent. He had previously announced that he would introduce legislation to hold primary runoff elections instead of conventions. On July 10, Zaun announced that despite his frustrations, he would not leave the Republican Party or run as an Independent.
Democratic primary
Candidates
;Declared- Staci Appel, former state senator
- Gabriel De La Cerda, former tire factory worker
- Michael Sherzan, businessman
- Leonard Boswell, former U.S. Representative
- Scott Brennan, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party
- Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines
- Chet Culver, former governor
- Ed Fallon, former state representative, candidate for governor in 2006 and candidate for the seat in 2008
- Michael Gronstal, Majority Leader of the Iowa Senate
- Jack Hatch, state senator
- Tom Henderson, attorney and chairman of the Polk County Democratic Party
- Tom Hockensmith, Polk County Supervisor
- Michael Kiernan, former Des Moines city councilman and former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party
- Bob Krause, former state representative, nominee for state treasurer in 1978, candidate for Mayor of Waterloo in 1982 and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010
- Matt McCoy, state senator
- Andy McGuire, health insurance executive and candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa in 2006
- Janet Petersen, state representative
- Dusky Terry, Mayor of Earlham and candidate for Iowa Attorney General in 2006
- Christie Vilsack, former First Lady of Iowa and nominee for Iowa's 4th congressional district in 2012
- Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture and former governor of Iowa
Endorsements
Results
General election
Polling
Results
District 4
Representative Steve King won re-election in the 4th district in 2012, after serving in the now defunct.Republican primary
Candidates
;Declared- Steve King, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
;Declared- Jim Mowrer, veteran and a former special assistant to the United States Under Secretary of the Army
- Christie Vilsack, former First Lady of Iowa and nominee in 2012
Results