Contents

2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa

2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa

← 2004 November 7, 2006 (2006-11-07) 2008 →
All 5 Iowa seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Democratic Republican Last election 1 4 Seats won 3 2 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 492,937 522,388 Percentage 47.72% 50.57%
Congressional district results County results Democratic   40–50%   50–60% Republican   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%

Elections in Iowa
Federal government U.S. Presidential elections 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential caucuses Democratic 1976 1980 1984 1992 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 1980 1996 2000 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1848 1849 1852 1855 1857 sp 1858 1860 1864 1866 1866 sp 1870 1870 sp 1872 1878 1882 1882 sp 1884 1888 1890 1894 1896 1900 1902 1902 sp 1907 1908 1908 sp 1909 1911 sp 1913 1914 1918 1920 1922 sp 1924 1926 1926 sp 1930 1932 1936 1936 sp 1938 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 2028 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1846 1847 1848 1850 1st sp 1852 1854 1856 1858 1860 1861 1st sp 1862 1864 1866 1868 1870 2nd sp 1872 1874 1876 1878 1879 5th sp 1880 1882 1883 6th sp 1884 7th sp 1886 1888 1890 7th sp 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 10th sp 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1911 9th sp 1912 11th sp 1914 2nd sp 1916 1918 1920 1921 5th sp 1922 1923 8th sp 1924 1926 1928 9th sp 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 6th sp 1942 9th sp 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1959 4th sp 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
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Ballot measures 2020 Question 1 2022 Amendment 1
Cedar Rapids Mayoral elections 2021
Des Moines Mayoral elections 1997 sp 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
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InIowa, midterm elections for the state's five congressional seats took place November 7, 2006. Each race was contested, pitting the winners of the Republican and Democratic primaries conducted June 6.

The Democratic party won three of the five seats up for grabs. In the 2nd district, 30-year incumbent Jim Leach, a Republican, was unseated by newcomer Dave Loebsack, a Democrat.^[1]

The winners served from January 3, 2007 to January 3, 2009.

Overview[edit]

District 1[edit]

2006 Iowa's 1st congressional district election

← 2004 2008 →

Nominee Bruce Braley Mike Whalen Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 114,322 89,729 Percentage 55.1% 43.3%

County results Braley:      50–60% Whalen:      50–60%

U.S. Representatives before election Jim Nussle Republican Elected U.S. Representatives Bruce Braley Democratic

Regarded as one of the more hotly contested races in the nation, Republican nominee Mike Whalen of Bettendorf, the operator of the Heart of America Restaurants and Inns (HOARI) chain, took on Democratic candidate Bruce Braley, an attorney from Waterloo. The seat had been vacated when incumbent Jim Nussle announced his run for Iowa governor.

In the Democratic primary, Braley defeated Rick Dickinson, Bill Gluba and Denny Heath. Whalen got the GOP nod over Bill Dix and Brian Kennedy.

Following an election that was peppered with negative attack ads from both sides, Braley defeated Whalen by a solid margin.

Braley's victory meant that, for the first time since 1976, a Democrat would be serving the district.^[3]

Endorsements[edit]

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate^[4]

District 2[edit]

2006 Iowa's 2nd congressional district election

← 2004 November 7th, 2006 2008 →

Nominee Dave Loebsack Jim Leach Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 107,683 101,707 Percentage 51.4% 48.6%

County results Loebsack:     50–60% Leach:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Jim Leach Republican Elected U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack Democratic

When the Iowa Secretary of State's office posted its list of primary candidates online in March, there was no Democratic candidate.^[5] However, Dave LoebsackofMount Vernon, a political science professor at Cornell College, received write-in votes in the June 6 primary to become the Democratic nominee.^[6] Incumbent Jim Leach was the sole GOP candidate in the primary.

The campaign eventually heated up,^[7] as Loebsack was hoping to ride what he viewed as voter discontent with the Bush administration. Leach supporters continued to point to his strong integrity and status as one of the most liberal Republicans in the House.

On election night, Loebsack stunned many political observers by defeating Leach by a thin margin.^[8] Leach's defeat made him the most senior House member to lose re-election in 2006 and the most senior member to lose re-election since 42-year incumbent Jack Brooks lost to Steve Stockman in the 1994 Republican Revolution.

District 3[edit]

2006 Iowa's 3rd congressional district election

← 2004 November 7th, 2006 2008 →

Nominee Leonard Boswell Jeff Lamberti Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 115,769 103,722 Percentage 51.9% 46.5%

County results Boswell:      40–50%      50–60% Lamberti:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. Representative before election Leonard Boswell Democratic Elected U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell Democratic

Five-term incumbent Leonard Boswell, a Democrat from Des Moines, took on Republican challenger Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny, a two-term state senator from the 35th District and the GOP's Senate leader. Both candidates were uncontested in the June 6 primary.

Like in the first congressional district, the third district race was characterized by negative attack advertising and attention from national committees seeking to elect their candidate of choice.

Boswell ultimately took advantage of the strong Democratic wave sweeping across the country and defeated Lamberti to win a sixth term.

Endorsements[edit]

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate^[9]

District 4[edit]

2006 Iowa's 4th congressional district election

← 2004 2008 →

Nominee Tom Latham Selden Spencer Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 121,650 90,982 Percentage 57.2% 42.8%

County results Latham:      50–60%      60–70% Spencer:      50–60%

U.S. Representative before election Tom Latham Republican Elected U.S. Representative Tom Latham Republican

Seven-term Republican incumbent Tom LathamofAlexander faced Democratic nominee Selden Spencer, a neurologist from Huxley. Both candidates were unopposed in the June 6 primary. Although quiet by comparison to other races in Iowa, the Iraq War was a major point of contention between the candidates.^[10]

Though some political analysts^[who?] expected the race to be a tough one, Latham defeated Spencer by a solid margin to win a seventh term.

Endorsements[edit]

• Wesley Clark, General, 2004 democratic presidential candidate^[11]

District 5[edit]

2006 Iowa's 5th congressional district election

← 2004 November 7th, 2006 2008 →

Nominee Steve King Joyce Schulte Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 105,580 64,181 Percentage 58.5% 35.6%

County results King:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Schulte:      40–50%

U.S. Representative before election Steve King Republican Elected U.S. Representative Steve King Republican

Republican Steve KingofKiron, a two-term incumbent, faced Democratic nominee Joyce Schulte of Creston. Schulte had defeated Robert Chambers in the June 6 primary, while King was unopposed.

In the November 7 election, King defeated Schulte in a small landslide to win another term.

References[edit]

See also[edit]

• Iowa gubernatorial election, 2006