Northwest Iowa — Part of your ballot for the June Primary Election is figured out. Candidates for state office had to have their nominating papers in by Friday.
In our area are Iowa Senate Districts 2 and 3. Republican Jeff Taylor is the incumbent in District 2, but that seat is not up for election this year. His district covers Lyon and Sioux Counties and a part of Plymouth County.
Iowa Senate District 3 is up for election this year. Republican Incumbent Lynn Evans of Aureila will face challenger Shane Bellefy of Cherokee for the nomination. The winner will face Democrat Mike Frantz of Storm Lake, who is unopposed in the primary. The district covers all of O’Brien, Osceola, and Buena Vista counties, and parts of Clay and Cherokee counties.
For the Iowa House, three districts cover parts of our area. They are House districts 3, 4, and 5, and they are all up for election.
House District 3 covers part of Sioux County and all of Plymouth County. Incumbent Dr. Tom Jeneary of Le Mars didn’t file papers. The only Republican on the ballot for the primary is Robert Driesen, and there are no Democrats who filed. So, unless something interesting happens, Driesen looks to be a shoo-in for the seat.
House District 4 covers all of Lyon County and part of Sioux County. Incumbent Skyler Wheeler of Hull is running unopposed for the Republican nomination. No Democrats filed, so Wheeler will probably retain his seat.
Iowa House District 5 incumbent and Iowa State Patrol Trooper Zach Dieken of rural Granville did not file papers. Two Republicans filed to fill his seat. They are Keith Glienke of Aurelia and Michael Schnoes of Sutherland. The district covers all of O’Brien and Osceola counties, and parts of Cherokee and Buena Vista counties.
Candidates for US Senate and governor must submit at least 35 hundred signatures from eligible Iowa voters, including at least 100 signatures in 19 different counties. Democrat Julie Stauch fell short in two counties. State Auditor Rob Sand now has a clear path to the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor.
All five Republicans who’ve been running for governor did meet the signature threshold. They are State Representative Eddie Andrews, Congressman Randy Feenstra, businessman Zach Lahn, pastor Brad Sherman, and former state agency director Adam Steen.
Republican Chris McGowan will be unopposed for US House in the fourth district GOP Primary. At one time there were four other Republicans campaigning in the district, which is currently represented by Randy Feenstra, who’s running for governor. Democrats Dan Dawson of Lawton, Stephanie Steiner of Sutherland, and Ashley WolfTornabane of Storm Lake have been accepted for the Primary ballot in the fourth district.
Iowa’s U.S. Senate race is set as well, with Congresswoman Ashly Hinson and former state legislator Jim Carlin in the GOP primary and Democrats Josh Turek and Zach Wahls — who are both current members of the Iowa legislature — competing for their party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate.
The primary election is on June 2nd. There are elections this year in half of the 50 state senate districts and in all 100 House districts. Candidates for county offices have until this Friday to file their nominating petitions.
If you want to vote absentee, you can request a ballot on an official form starting on March 23rd, 2026. But the ballots cannot be mailed out until May 13th, 2026.
KIWA Staff Photo
