Democrat receives 30% of the vote in Iowa House district after years of the party being unable to field a candidate

 

Write-in votes in 2020 and 2022.  Independent challenger in 2024.

Election results:  Ballotpedia and Iowa Secretary of State

Headline:  Des Moines Register, 12/9/2025

Stephen Gruber-Miller reports:

House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, praised Larson's 40-point victory in a statement.

"Unsurprisingly, House District 7 awarded Wendy Larson a resounding victory today," he said. "Iowans continue to reject out-of-touch liberal agendas and opt instead for more of the common sense, freedom-loving approach you’ve come to know from Iowa House Republicans. We are proud to have a strong leader for House District 7 in Wendy Larson and we look forward to her joining us in the Iowa House." 

Larson previously ran against Sexton in a Republican primary in 2024, losing that race 51% to 49%. 

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart thanked Bruns for running and praised her campaign. 

"Rachel Burns ran a gutsy and inspiring campaign, and the results of her hard work were clear tonight — overperforming by 11 points and forcing Republicans to spend over $35,000 in a district that Donald Trump won by 52," Hart said in a statement.

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