2026 results · Iowa · Iowa 2nd District
Lindsay James, the Democrat, flips Iowa's 2nd District
Donald Trump carried the district by 9.9 points in 2024; this year's count is a 13.8-point move toward the Democrats. The Republicans held the seat before the election.
| Candidate | Votes | Share | Share of the vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsay JamesDemocrat | 171,484 | 49.5% | |
| Joe MitchellRepublican | 157,722 | 45.5% | |
| Rick StewartLibertarian | 9,500 | 2.7% | |
| Dave BushawOther party | 7,469 | 2.2% | |
| Write-in | 226 | 0.1% |
Called by Call the Map, Nov 4, 12:07 AM EST · 97% counted.
About 97% of the expected vote counted346,401 votesCount last changed Nov 7, 6:28 PM ESTSource: Iowa Secretary of State
The map
Loading the map.
About the seat
Iowa's 2nd District takes in all or part of 22 counties. The Republicans held it before this election. Its voters went R+9.9 for president in 2024. Its move from that vote, 13.8 points toward the Democrats, ranks 2 of 4 among the state's districts, counting from the largest move toward the Democrats.
- 2024 president
- R+9.9
- 2024 House race, same lines
- R+15.8
- Move from 2024, rank in state
- 2 of 4
- Linn County31%
- Black Hawk County15%
- Dubuque County13%
- Cerro Gordo County5%
- Bremer County3%
- Benton County3%
- Winneshiek County3%
- Buchanan County2%
- 14 more24%
Shares are of the votes counted this year. The 2024 House figure is the same district, on the same lines.
What the count shows
Added together, the 22 counties compared moved 13.8 points toward the Democrats from the 2024 presidential vote.
The counties compared cast 82% as many votes as in 2024, from 86% in Linn County to 76% in Howard County.
Fayette County moved most: R+30.1 for president in 2024, R+14.6 this year
The 10 counties with the largest moves from the 2024 presidential vote, among those with 2,000 or more votes for president in 2024 and a quarter of that counted, and at least half a percent of the state's 2024 vote. Each line runs from the 2024 margin to this year’s.
2024 president 2026
Linn County added 10,766 net votes for James against the 2024 margin, 20% of the district's change
Across the 22 counties compared, the margin moved by 55,154 votes toward James: this year’s lead in votes against the 2024 presidential lead in votes, county by county. The figure counts voters who changed sides and differences in who turned out alike; the count cannot tell them apart.
- Linn County+10,766 James
- Black Hawk County+7,895 James
- Dubuque County+7,311 James
- Cerro Gordo County+2,900 James
- Benton County+2,423 James
- Buchanan County+1,955 James
- Bremer County+1,950 James
- Fayette County+1,833 James
3 counties Donald Trump carried in 2024 are led by James this year
Striped on the map above. Largest first.
- Dubuque CountyR+8.4D+6.6
- Cerro Gordo CountyR+11.4D+1.4
- Winneshiek CountyR+9.1D+1.2
How the vote came in
James did best among absentee ballots (D+27.5) and Mitchell among Election Day votes(R+9.3).
- Election Day221,326 votes, 64% of the countR+9.3
- Absentee125,075 votes, 36% of the countD+27.5
The office’s own categories, as it reports them. Margins are within each kind of vote.
The seats that changed party
StatewideDemocrats won 3 of Iowa's 6 statewide races and lead 1 more; Republicans won 1 and lead 1 more.
U.S. HouseBefore the election R 4–0, now D 3–1
won leads, still counting changed party. Margins are the leader’s share minus the runner-up’s, in points.
Every count on this page is the official count published by the Iowa Secretary of State. Counts are unofficial until the state certifies them. The 2024 comparison is the presidential vote, Kamala Harris against Donald Trump, on the same ground. Margins are the Democrat minus the Republican, in points of all votes.