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Races to Watch in Northwest Iowa
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Races to Watch in Northwest Iowa

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Voters in northwest Iowa and the rest of the state will go to the polls today, and KTIV will have the latest results as the 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’s 4th congressional district (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 office in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, which covers northwest Iowa and parts of western Iowa.

Feenstra is a Hull native and has served as an Iowa representative since 2021 after defeating longtime Congressman Steve King. He has experience teaching business and economics at Dordt University and served in the Iowa Senate from 2009 to 2021.

This is Melton’s second bid for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. He faced Feenstra in 2022 and received 30% of the vote to Feenstra’s 67%. Melton holds an undergraduate degree in history and political science from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in United States history from the University of Kansas.

You can find the biographies of both candidates below

Iowa’s 4th congressional district

Iowa Senate (4-year term)

A map showing what Iowa's Senate districts will now look like after the map was approved by lawmakers.
A map showing what Iowa’s Senate districts will now look like after the map was approved by lawmakers.(Dean Welte | KTIV)

District 6

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

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

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

Neither candidate has a biography on KTIV.com. We sent questionnaires to both candidates but received no responses.

Iowa House (4-year term)

Iowa House of Representatives district map.
Iowa House of Representatives district map.(Iowa Legislature website)

District 1

Incumbent Democrat 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 Iowa House District 1 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 School in Sioux City and has coached baseball teams and managed clubs for local schools. This is the first time he is running for political office.

You can find the biographies of both candidates below

District 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 he served on the House committees on local government, public safety and transportation. His experience includes 35 years of public school teaching, 15 years of college teaching, and 3 years as regional director for Senator Chuck Grassley.

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

You can find the biographies of both candidates below

District 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 including the Hawarden Healthcare Regional Board of Directors, the Hawarden Area Arts Council and was a coach for the West Sioux Special Olympics.

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

You can find the biographies of both candidates below

District 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 in District 5 and served on the Agriculture Committee, Environmental Protection Committee and Public Safety Committee. Dieken’s professional experience includes working as an Iowa State Patrol trooper.

Schnoes’ experience includes a degree in applied science from Lakes Community College, a bachelor’s degree in applied science from Bemidji State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Minnesota.

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

District 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 committees on agriculture, environmental protection and trade. He has a background in agriculture as a farmer and has served the South Central Calhoun School Board, the First Presbyterian Church Board and the Calhoun County Farm Bureau Board.

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

District 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 background includes education, and he is currently an associate professor of criminal justice and sociology at Waldorf University and has served as chair of the Department of Criminal Justice since 2020.

Stone has served in the Iowa House since his election in 2020 and has served on the Appropriations Committee, Education Committee and several others. He served in the Air Force and has experience as an RV sales consultant.

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

District 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, worked 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 candidates Parker Hansen, Democrat Rosanne Plante and Republican Travis Sitzmann are running for the position.

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

Plante is an award-winning lawyer with 29 years of experience, a mediator, a pro bono lobbyist and a former university professor.

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

You can find the biographies of all three candidates below.

Iowa ballot measures

Iowa voters are considering two constitutional amendments, one regarding a change in the language of the state constitution while the other concerns the voting age.

Constitutional Amendment 1

Currently, the Iowa Constitution states that “every” citizen of the United States has the right to vote in the state. If this amendment passes, the new wording would change it to “only” citizens of the United States have the right to vote in the state.

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

Constitutional Amendment 2

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

State Representative Cindy Golding of Palo, Iowa, said the amendment would enshrine it in the constitution. “It also allows 17-year-olds, who will be 18 in the general election, to register to vote and vote in primaries,” she said.

It may seem unnecessary to repeat all of this when this is how we already run elections, but by putting this in the Constitution it makes it harder to take away these rights.

The amendment was adopted unanimously by both houses of Parliament. And state law already specifies at what age voters can register.