(KIWA Staff photo)
Northwest Iowa – The 2026 primary election is this Tuesday, June 2nd, and polls across Iowa will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters must cast ballots at their assigned precinct, and same day registration will be available with proper identification.
In Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, the race is wide open for the first time in six years as Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull runs for governor. Sioux City economic development leader Chris McGowan is the lone Republican and will advance to the general election in November. Three Democrats are competing for their party’s nomination: Dave Dawson of Lawton, a prosecutor and former state representative; Stephanie Steiner of Sutherland, a former women’s health nurse and small livestock producer; and Ashley WolfTornabane of Storm Lake, a former school instructional assistant and director of Christian education.
Iowa Senate, District 3 features a contested Republican primary. Incumbent Lynn Evans of Aurelia faces challenger Shane Bellefy of Cherokee, a banking officer and county supervisor. Democrat Mike Frantz of Storm Lake is unopposed.
Several Iowa House races will also appear on Tuesday’s ballot. In House District 5, incumbent Republican Zach Dieken did not file for re‑election. Two Republicans; Keith Glienke of Aurelia and Michael Schnoes of Sutherland are seeking the open seat. No Democrats filed. In House District 3, Republican Robert Driesen is unopposed.
Statewide, the primary election includes competitive races for governor and U.S. Senate. Five Republicans; Randy Feenstra, Eddie Andrews, Zach Lahn, Brad Sherman and Adam Steen all qualified for the GOP gubernatorial ballot. Democrat Rob Sand is unopposed after Julie Stauch did not meet signature requirements. In the U.S. Senate race, Republicans Ashley Hinson and Jim Carlin are competing, while Democrats Zach Wahls and Josh Turek are seeking their party’s nomination.
At the county level, there are no unopposed races in our four-county area of Lyon, O’Brien, Sioux, and Osceola Counties.
Full candidate lists and district maps are available at the Iowa Secretary of State’s website. Voters can look up their polling place and precinct information through the Iowa Secretary of State’s “Find Your Precinct” tool at sos.iowa.gov.
(Thanks to Storm Lake Radio for their contribution to this story)
