Iowa voters set lineups for this fall’s election

DES MOINES — Iowans’ votes will be counted Tuesday as they help winnow the list of candidates seeking to represent them in the nation’s Capitol, the state Capitol and local boards of supervisors.

It’s primary Election Day in Iowa, where voters pick candidates in partisan races to advance to the Nov. 8 election. There are a number of noteworthy campaigns on the ballot, from federal races to the statehouse.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. — an hour earlier than previous Iowa elections after a change in state law.

County elections officials across the state also will be counting the early ballots that were completed in-person or submitted by mail. Also under the change in state law, those early ballots are required to arrive at elections offices by Tuesday by the time polls close.

A newly reduced window for early voting, passed as part of the change, is already impacting Iowa voters. The Iowa Capital Dispatch on Sunday reported 461 requests for early ballots arrived too late in four of Iowa’s largest counties — Polk, Linn, Scott and Black Hawk — after another new and earlier deadline established by Iowa Republicans.

Those 461 voters will not be able to vote early in this primary election. They can still vote in-person on Election Day, if they are able.

The primary campaign that has captured the most attention statewide is on the Democratic side, where the party’s voters will chose which candidate to run this fall for the U.S. Senate, likely against longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

There are three Democrats vying for the party’s U.S. Senate nomination: former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer from Cedar Rapids, U.S. Navy veteran Mike Franken from Sioux City and physician Glenn Hurst from Minden.

Grassley must first survive a Republican primary challenge of his own, although it is widely expected he will win comfortably. His challenger is Jim Carlin, a lawyer and legislator from Sioux City.

There is only one competitive primary among Iowa’s four congressional districts.

That is in Central Iowa, where three Republicans are seeking their party’s nomination. Those GOP candidates are legislator and Iowa National Guard officer Zach Nunn from Bondurant, financial services professional Nicole Hasso from Johnston and construction consultant Gary Leffler from West Des Moines.

The winner of that primary will face Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne this fall.

Voters will weigh in on the other three congressional races in the November elections. In Eastern Iowa, those include Democratic legislator Liz Mathis taking on incumbent Republican U.S. Rep Ashley Hinson in the 2nd District, and Democratic legislator Christina Bohannan challenging Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the 1st District.

While there is no primary drama in the race to be the state’s next governor — Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear are their party’s only candidate — there are a couple of competitive primaries for other statewide offices.

Two Democrats, Joel Miller of Robins and Eric Van Lancker of Clinton, are running for secretary of state. The winner will face Republican incumbent Paul Pate. And two Republicans, Mary Ann Hanusa and Todd Halbur, are running for auditor. The winner will face incumbent Democrat Rob Sand.

The general election is Nov. 8.

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