05/31/2026
2026 VOTER GUIDE:
Contested state and federal races for the June 2 primary for our area:
Voters in the June 2 primary will choose Democratic or Republican candidates to run in the 2026 general election. Candidates must receive at least 35% of the vote to win the nomination. If no candidate meets that threshold, the nominee will be chosen at a party convention.
U.S. Senate
Josh Turek: Democrat
Turek, 47, currently represents Iowa House District 20 (2023-present) and is the first permanently disabled member of the Iowa Legislature. Turek, who was born with spina bifida, won gold medals at the 2016 and 2021 Paralympics as part of the U.S. wheelchair basketball team. He received his bachelor's degree from Southwest Minnesota State University and his master’s degree from DeVry University
Zach Wahls: Democrat
Wahls, 34, represents Senate District 43 in the Iowa Legislature (2019-present), and previously served as Senate minority leader (2020-2023). Outside of the Legislature, he has previously served as executive director of The Next 50 and as vice president for Community Investment and Development at GreenState Credit Union. Wahls received his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa and master's degree in public affairs from Princeton University.
Two Democratic state legislators are competing for their party's nomination to run for U.S. Senate.
U.S. Senate
Jim Carlin: Republican
Carlin, 63, is an attorney from Sioux City who has served in the Iowa Senate (2017-2023) after first serving a year in the Iowa House. He is the founder of the Iowa Liberty Network, an organization focused on recruiting and electing “constitutional conservative” candidates in state government and other public offices. He served in the U.S. Army (1983-85). He ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in the 2022 Republican primary election.
Ashley Hinson: Republican
Hinson, 41, currently serves as 2nd District U.S. representative (2023-present) and has served as 1st District U.S. representative (2021-2023) and Iowa state representative in District 67 (2017-2021). She's a former news anchor for KCRG-TV with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from University of Southern California.
Two Republicans are vying to be the nominee to fill Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat, which will be vacated by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.
U.S. House District 4
Dave Dawson:
Democrat
Dawson, 52, previously served in the Iowa House of Representatives representing the 14th District (2013-2017). Before taking the state legislative role, he served as a prosecutor at the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from Iowa State University and a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law.
(D) Stephanie Steiner:
Democrat
Steiner, 44, is a retired women’s healthcare nurse and a small livestock producer who lives in Sutherland. She has an associate’s of applied science degree in nursing from Northwest Iowa Community College. Steiner has not held previous political office.
(D) Ashley WolfTornabane:
Democrat
WolfTornabane, 36, is a stay-at-home mother who previously worked as an instructional assistant in the Storm Lake Community School District and as Director of Christian Education at Lakeside Presbyterian Church. WoflTornabane has a high school diploma from Storm Lake High School.
The winner of the three-candidate Democratic primary will face Republican Chris McGowan in the general election for this open seat.
Governor
Eddie Andrews: Republican
Andrews, 59, of Johnston, has served in the Iowa House since 1991, currently representing District 43. He has worked as a tech entrepreneur and app developer, and as a pastor. He has a bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Iowa. His ministerial training is from Purpose Institute.
Randy Feenstra: Republican
Feenstra, 57, is currently the 4th District U.S. representative (2021-present). He has also served as Iowa state senator – District 2 (2009-2021), and Sioux County treasurer (2006-2008). He is a former business and economics professor at Dordt University with a bachelor's degree in business communications from Dordt University, a master’s degree in public administration from Iowa State University, and a doctorate degree in business and health care administration from Northcentral University, La Jolla, California.
Zach Lahn: Republican
Zach Lahn, 40, describes himself as a farmer and entrepreneur from Belle Plaine. He cites political experience working for a state senator in Colorado and running campaigns for Republican candidates in Iowa. He has also worked for Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy group. He has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Colorado.
Brad Sherman: Republican
Brad Sherman, 71, of Williamsburg is a pastor and former state representative (2023-2025). He has also served as an Iowa County Republican Party chair and a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2024. He was a co-founder of Informed Choices Medical Clinics, where he served as president and board chair for 10 years.
Adam Steen: Republican
Steen, 46, is the former director at the Iowa Department of Administrative Services (2021-2025). Before serving as part of Gov. Kim Reynolds' administration, he was the director of business development at Syverson Strege, a financial services firm, and had previously owned a management consulting firm called 25 Connections, and was one of the founders of The Turkey Fan, a company making turkey decoys. He also was a minor league baseball relief pitcher in 2002, playing for the Philadelphia Phillies and Batavia Muckdogs.
Five Republicans are competing for the nomination to run for governor. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Rob Sand in the general election.
Iowa auditor
Chris Cournoyer: Republican
Cournoyer, 55, is currently serving as Iowa's lieutenant governor under Gov. Kim Reynolds (2024-present). Before taking this position, she served as a state senator representing Senate District 35 (2019-2024). Previously, she served as president and a member of the Pleasant Valley School Board and served as a reserve sheriff's deputy in Scott County. Cournoyer is a former senior consultant in the Technology Division at Andersen Consulting, which later became Accenture. She later launched a business as an independent website designer and developer. She holds a bachelor's in computer science from the University of Texas.
Abigail Maas: Republican
Maas, 34, currently serves as an Iowa County supervisor (2020-present) as well as serving as a supervisor and mentor for the Iowa State Association of Counties. The Republican from South Amana is also a farmer and business owner of Garcia Carpet and Two Hills Equine Boarding Services.
In the words of Niki Conrad - Webster County, IA Supervisor, District 4: “I want to make it crystal clear that I encourage everyone who is eligible to vote to do so.”
