DES MOINES, IOWA (April 13, 2022) — More than 10,000 students across Iowa made their voices heard about the upcoming election by participating in Secretary of State Paul Pate’s Iowa Youth Straw Poll this week. Students in K-12 schools were invited to vote for their preferred candidates in Iowa’s congressional and gubernatorial races.
Republican Charles “Chuck” Grassley led all candidates in the US Senate race with 40% of the vote. Republican Jim Carlin finished second with 23%. Democrat Abby Finkenauer garnered 19%.
Incumbent Governor Kim Reynolds easily won the gubernatorial race, with 65% of the vote.
Iowa’s four US Congressional races were also polled, with Republicans leading in three of the four districts. Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks defeated Christina Bohannan in the First District, 64-36%. Ashley Hinson picked up 69% of the vote in the Second Congressional District, with Liz Mathis garnering 31%.
Democrat Cindy Axne edged Republican Nicole Hasso by seventeen votes in the Third District, 29-28%. Combined, Republicans Hasso, Gary Leffler, and Zach Nunn picked up 1,535 votes, compared to Axne’s 625.
Republican Randy Feenstra led in the Fourth District with 66%.
Traditionally, the Iowa Youth Straw Poll has served as a strong indicator of how the actual elections will shape up.
Vote totals for this year and past years are available by clicking here.