Seven-term Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) easily won in his race against state Sen. Jim Carlin (R) while Republican state Senator and Air Force veteran Zach Nunn defeated two challengers in the newly redrawn 3rd Congressional District in Iowa’s June 7 primary.
With 30 percent of the precincts reporting at 9:46 p.m. ET, Grassley received more than 74 percent of the vote and was projected as the winner by Decision Desk HQ.
Finkenauer is considered one of the most widely known Democrats in Iowa. She defeated a Republican Congressman in 2018 before losing in 2020.
Finkenauer raised $3.7 million compared to Franken’s $2.8 million. She gained endorsements from EMILY’s List, the League of Conservation Voters, and labor groups.Trouble arose in May when a judge discovered mistakes in Finkenauer’s nominating petitions, which were brought to light by Republican activists.
Her presence on the ballot was in question, but the problem disappeared when the Iowa Supreme Court reversed a lower-court decision saying that she did not qualify.
The 64-year-old Franken is a progressive on many issues, but he believes he can ease partisan tensions if he is elected.The 88-year-old Grassley is endorsed by former President Donald Trump and heavily favored to secure his eighth term as a U.S. senator in Iowa. He is the oldest Republican serving in the Senate. Grassley was elected to the House of Representatives in 1975 and won his Senate seat in 1980.
Carlin, an attorney, was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2017, succeeding the retiring Ron Jorgensen. Later that year, Carlin was elected to the Iowa Senate, a seat he currently holds.
All four of Iowa’s U.S. House of Representative seats were on the ballot this year, but the most compelling race was in the 3rd Congressional District, where Republicans hope to unseat incumbent two-term Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne.
The third district features the only race rated as competitive for the general election in November.
Nunn won with more than 69 percent of the vote followed by Hasso at 20 percent and Gary Leffler at 10 percent.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Americans for Prosperity Action backed Nunn, who has served in the Iowa House and the Senate.
In a recent debate, Nunn touted how he voted for the most expansive tax cut package in Iowa history.
Axne was first elected to the U.S. House in 2018. Two years ago, she prevailed by around 6,200 votes, which was less than 1.5 percentage points. The new congressional map has moved the district to a side that is friendlier to Republicans. The redrawn 3rd District gained nine counties that voted for Trump in 2020.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is also heavily favored to win in November. She was unopposed in the June 7 primary.
