Races to watch in northwest Iowa

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Polls across Iowa are closed and the first results are in.

Below is information about the key northwest Iowa races we'll be covering tonight. You can also find information about statewide ballot measures there.

Our full results list can be found here on KTIV.com. Check out the video player at the top of this article for our latest live coverage of the election results.

Iowa's 4th congressional district (two-year term)

Republican incumbent Randy Feenstra defeated Democratic challenger Ryan Melton to be re-elected to Iowa's 4th Congressional District, which includes northwest Iowa and parts of western Iowa.

Feenstra, a Hull native, has been Iowa's representative since 2021 after defeating longtime Congressman Steve King. He has experience teaching economics at Dordt University and served in the Iowa Senate from 2009 to 2021.

I am honored by the strong support of Iowans in all 36 counties of the 4th District who re-elected me as their voice in Congress. God has blessed me with the ability to serve my hometown, my neighbors and this district – all according to His plan,” said Rep. Feenstra. “Iowans deserve leaders who will find solutions to the challenges facing our communities, and that’s exactly what I will continue to do. As I promised in my first campaign, I will always work to deliver real results for our families, farmers, businesses and rural communities.”

This was Melton's second run for Iowa's 4th Congressional District. He ran against Feenstra in 2022 and received 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 an MA in U.S. history from the University of Kansas.

Below you will find the biographies of both candidates

Iowa Senate (4-year term)

District 6

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

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 served on several committees, including the Commerce, Judiciary and Labor Committees. He also served in the Iowa Army National Guard for seven years.

None of the candidates have a bio on KTIV.com. We sent questionnaires to both candidates but received no response.

Iowa House (4-year term)

District 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 Iowa House District 1 in 2022. During his tenure in the Iowa House, Scholten served on the Agriculture, Trade, Economic Growth and Natural Resources Committee.

Steinhoff is a teacher at Hunt Elementary in Sioux City and has coached baseball teams and led clubs for local schools. It is his first candidacy for political office.

Below you will find the biographies of both candidates

District 2

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

Henderson was elected to District 2 in 2022 and served on the House Local Government, Public Safety and House Transportation Committees. His background includes 35 years as a public school teacher, 15 years as a high school teacher, and three years as a regional director for Senator Chuck Grassley.

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

Below you will find the biographies of both candidates

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 in the West Sioux Community School District and is currently completing her master's degree in special education. She served on several local and state boards and councils, including the Hawarden Regional Healthcare Board of Directors and 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 background includes 35 years of experience as a dentist and six years of membership on the Iowa Board of Dental Examiners.

Below you will find the biographies of both candidates

District 5

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

Dieken was elected to District 5 in 2022 and served on the Agriculture Committee, Environmental Protection Committee and Public Safety Committee. Dieken's professional experience includes working as an Iowa State patrol officer.

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

Schnoes' biography can be found below. Dieken did not respond to our questionnaire.

District 7

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

This is Podraza's first run for the Iowa House.

Sexton has served in the Iowa House since 2014 and has served on agriculture, environmental protection and commerce committees. He has a background in agriculture as a farmer and served on the South Central Calhoun School Board, the First Presbyterian Church Board and the Calhoun County Farm Bureau Board.

Podraza's biography can be found 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. 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 been a member of the Iowa House of Representatives since his election in 2020, serving on the Appropriations Committee, Education Committee and several others. He served in the Air Force and has experience as an RV sales consultant.

Below is Schlaerth's biography. 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 run for the Iowa House.

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

Holt's biography is below. Durbin did not respond to our questionnaire.

District 13

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

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 a 29-year award-winning attorney, 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 travel insurance risk advisor.

Below you will find the biographies of all three candidates.

Two ballot measures in Iowa pass

Two constitutional amendments were considered by Iowa voters, one involving a change to the wording of the state's constitution and the other involving the voting age. Both voted with a simple majority on Tuesday evening.

One of the amendments clarifies what happens if the governor of Iowa resigns or if the governor is temporarily incapacitated.

The question arose in 2017 when former Gov. Terry Branstad resigned to become U.S. ambassador to China. At that time, Reynolds appointed Adam Gregg as acting lieutenant governor.

There were concerns about whether the Constitution gave Gregg full authority to become governor should something happen to Reynolds. The problem disappeared when Reynolds and Gregg were elected in 2018.

Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg resigned from office in September.

This change clarifies the future succession.

The other amendment passed changes the Iowa Constitution from “everyone” to “only” U.S. citizens 18 years of age or older who live in Iowa are allowed to vote.

Those who support the change say it brings Iowa law into line with federal law. The 26th Amendment to the US Constitution lowered the voting age to 18. But the Iowa Constitution does not reflect this.

State law already sets the age at which voters can register. However, Democratic State Representative Adam Zabner said passing this law would provide another layer of protection for voters.

“By ensuring that 18-year-olds have the right to vote in the Iowa Constitution, you are simply creating another hurdle to take away that right and you are protecting young people’s right to vote,” he said.

The League of Women Voters of Johnson County urged people to vote against this amendment because they believe there are too many unanswered questions about this amendment.

“At least to our knowledge, there is no explanation as to why this is a necessary change,” said Vicki Aden of the League of Women Voters of Johnson County.

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