close
close

Association-anemone

Bite-sized brilliance in every update

Races to Watch in Northwest Iowa
asane

Races to Watch in Northwest Iowa

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Voters in northwest Iowa and the rest of the state will head to the polls today, and KTIV will have the latest results as ballots are counted.

Below you’ll find information on the major Northwest Iowa races we’ll be covering today. You’ll also find information on statewide ballot measures.

Our full list of results will be available on KTIV.com here.

Iowa Congressional District 4 (2-year term)

Map showing Iowa's four congressional districts
Map showing Iowa’s four congressional districts(Iowa Secretary of State)

Republican incumbent Randy Feenstra and Democratic challenger Ryan Melton are running for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District office, which covers northwest Iowa and parts of western Iowa.

Feenstra is a native of Hull and is the 2021 Iowa representative after defeating longtime congressman Steve King. He has a background in education, teaching business and economics at Dordt University and served in the Iowa Senate from 2009 to 2021.

This is Melton’s second run for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. He ran against Feenstra in 2022 and got 30% of the vote, compared to Feenstra’s 67%. Melton holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in US history from the University of Kansas.

Below you can find the biographies of both candidates

Iowa’s 4th Congressional District

Iowa Senate (4-year term)

A map of what Iowa's Senate districts will look like now that the map has been approved by lawmakers.
A map of what Iowa’s Senate districts will look like now that the map has been approved by lawmakers.(Dean Welte | KTIV)

Sector 6

Iowa Senate District 6 covers Ida, Crawford, Shelby, Carroll and Audubon counties. Running for the seat this year are Libertarian David Davis and Republican Jason Schultz.

Davis served in the US Army from 1985 to 2012 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in 1998.

Schultz was first elected to the 6th District in 2022 and has served on several committees, including the Commerce, Judiciary and Labor committees. He also served in the Iowa Army National Guard for seven years.

No candidate has a bio on KTIV.com. I have sent questionnaires to both candidates but have not received any responses.

Iowa House (4-year term)

District map for the Iowa House of Representatives.
District map for the Iowa House of Representatives.(Iowa Legislature website)

Sector 1

Democratic incumbent JD Scholten and Republican Josh Steinhoff are running for Iowa House District 1, which represents part of Northwest Woodbury County, including Sioux City.

Scholten ran for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District in 2018 and 2020 before being elected to the 1st Iowa House District in 2022. While serving in the Iowa House, Scholten served on the Committee on Agriculture, Commerce , economic growth and natural resources.

Steinhoff is a teacher at Hunt Elementary in Sioux City and has coached baseball teams and leadership clubs for local schools. This is the first time he is running for political office.

Below you can find the biographies of both candidates

Sector 2

Republican incumbent Robert Henderson and Democrat Jessica Lopez-Walker are running for Iowa House District 2, which covers part of Northwest Woodbury County.

Henderson was elected to District 2 in 2022 and has served on the House Local Government, Public Safety, and House Transportation committees. His experience includes 35 years of public school teaching, 15 years of college teaching, and 3 years as a regional director for Senator Chuck Grassley.

Lopez-Walker is a small business owner who recently got involved in politics.

Below you can find the biographies of both candidates

Sector 3

Democrat Emma Bouza and Republican incumbent Thomas Jeneary are running for Iowa House District 3, which represents parts of Plymouth and Sioux counties.

Bouza works at the West Sioux Community School District and is completing her master’s degree in special education. She has served on several local and state boards and councils, including the Hawarden Regional Health Board, the Hawarden Area Arts Council, and was the West Sioux Special Olympics coach.

Jeneary was elected to District 3 in 2018 and has served on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Natural Resources Committee and more. His experience includes 35 years of practicing dentistry and was on the Iowa Board of Dental Examiners for 6 years.

Below you can find the biographies of both candidates

Sector 5

Republican incumbent Zach Dieken and independent candidate Michael Schnoes are running for House District 5, which represents Osceola and O’Brien counties, as well as parts of Cherokee and Buena Vista counties.

Dieken was elected in 2022 to the 5th District and has served on the Agriculture Committee, the Environmental Protection Committee and the Public Safety Committee. Dieken’s career experience includes work as an Iowa State Patrol trooper.

Schnoes’ background includes a Bachelor of Applied Science from Lakes Community College, a Bachelor of Applied Science from Bemidji State University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Minnesota.

You can find Schnoes’ biography below. Dieken did not respond to our questionnaire.

Sector 7

Independent candidate Martin and Republican incumbent Mike Sexton are running for House District 7, which represents Sac, Pocahontas and Calhoun counties as well as part of Webster County.

This is Podraza’s first time running for the Iowa House.

Sexton has served in the Iowa House since 2014 and has served on the Agriculture, Environmental Protection and Commerce committees. He has a background in agriculture as a farmer and has served on the South Central Calhoun School Board, the First Presbyterian Church Board and the Calhoun County Farm Board.

You can find Podraza’s biography below. Sexton did not respond to our questionnaire.

Sector 9

Democrat Christian Schlaerth and Republican incumbent Henry Stone are running for Iowa House District 9, which represents Emmet and Winnebago counties and part of Kossuth County.

Schlaerth’s studies include education, and he is currently Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Waldorf University and is the 2020 Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice.

Stone has served in the Iowa House since being elected in 2020 and has served on the Appropriations Committee, the Education Committee and more. He served in the Air Force and has experience working as an RV sales consultant.

You can find Schlaerth’s biography below. Stone did not respond to our questionnaire.

Sector 12

Democrat Dustin Durbin and Republican incumbent Steven Holt are running for Iowa House District 12, which represents Crawford County and parts of Ida and Shelby counties.

This is Durbin’s first time running for the Iowa House.

Holt was elected in 2014 and served 20 years in the US Marine Corp, was in law enforcement for over 3 years and was a small business owner.

You can find Holt’s bio below. Durbin did not respond to our questionnaire.

District 13

Iowa House District 13 represents all of Monona County and parts of Plymouth, Cherokee and Woodbury counties. Independent candidate Parker Hansen, Democrat Rosanne Plante and Republican Travis Sitzmann.

Hansen graduated from River Valley High School and attended Western Iowa Tech Community College. Hansen is also a business owner, he started a mobile coffee trailer called Java Hub Jr., which later became Heartland Coffee and Nosh.

Plante is an award-winning attorney with 29 years of experience, a mediator, volunteer lobbyist and former college professor.

Sitzmann grew up in the Merrill area and attended Gehlen Catholic School. He currently works remotely as a risk consultant for travel insurance.

You can find the biographies of all three candidates below.

Iowa ballot measures

There are two constitutional amendments being considered by Iowa voters, one of them concerns a change in the language of the state constitution, while the other concerns the voting age.

Constitutional Amendment 1

Currently, the Iowa Constitution says that “every” citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in the state. If this amendment passes, the new language would change it to “only” citizens of the United States of America are eligible to vote in the state.

Supporters say the changes merely bring Iowa law into line with federal law. While those urging voters to mark “no” on the ballot say there are plenty of unanswered questions about the change.

Constitutional Amendment 2

26th Amendment to the US Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. This was ratified 53 years ago, but the Iowa state constitution does not reflect this.

Rep. of State Cindy Golding of Palo, Iowa says the amendment will put it in the constitution. “It also allows 17-year-olds who will turn 18 by the general election to register to vote and vote in primaries,” she said.

It may seem pointless to go through all of this until we’re already doing the elections that way, but by putting them in the constitution, it’s harder to take those rights away.

The amendment was unanimously adopted by both chambers of the legislature. And state law already sets at what age voters can register.