DES MOINES, IOWA (October 12, 2026) — More than 11,000 students cast ballots in the 2026 Iowa Youth Straw Poll, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has announced. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll, one of several youth initiatives championed by Sec Pate, provides Iowa students in grades K-12 with hands-on experience in participating in the elections process. The mock election process took place statewide across nearly 100 schools.
“We’ve seen research that shows early education on civic processes and elections instills lifelong habits of civic engagement,” said Sec Pate.
“This is one of several initiatives to encourage Iowa’s students to be civic-minded citizens. In the past, we’ve found the results of the straw poll closely mirror official results, a clear indicator that parents are talking to their students about elections in the evenings over the dinner table.”
The 94 participating schools reported that 11,671 students took part in this year’s mock election, casting their votes for their preferred candidates for the US Senate, US House, and Governor. The Iowa Gubernatorial race proved to be the closest, with a difference of just 23 votes.
US Senate Race:
- Total Ballots Cast: 11,273
- Ashley Hinson: 44% (4,991 votes)
- Josh Turek: 42% (4737 votes)
- Thomas Laehn: 14% (1545 votes)
US House District 1 Race:
- Total Ballots Cast: 2,437
- Mariannette Miller-Meeks: 38% (918 votes)
- Christina Bohannan: 41% (996 votes)
- Michael Bridgford: 21% (523 votes)
US House District 2 Race:
- Total Ballots Cast: 2,498
- Joe Mitchell: 49% (1218 votes)
- Lindsay James: 27% (681 votes)
- Dave Bushaw: 16% (411 votes)
- Rick Stewart: 8% (188 votes)
US House District 3 Race:
- Total Ballots Cast: 2,277
- Zach Nunn: 56% (1277 votes)
- Sarah Trone Garriott: 44% (1000 votes)
US House District 4 Race:
- Total Ballots Cast: 3,946
- Chris McGowan: 55% (2168 votes)
- Dave Dawson: 45% (1778 votes)
Iowa Governor Race:
- Total Ballots Cast: 11,293
- Zach Lahn: 50.1% (5658 votes)
- Rob Sand: 49.9% (5635 votes)
