Democrats flip four Des Moines metro House seats in Iowa on Nov. 3, 2026

Republicans entered Tuesday’s midterm elections with a 66-seat majority in the 100-member Iowa House and a winning streak in the chamber dating back to 2011. Democrats flipped four Republican-held Iowa House seats in the Des Moines metro on Nov. 3, 2026, the Des Moines Register reported.

The four turnovers narrow the Republican majority and mark a shift in Iowa’s most populous suburbs, even as the GOP retains control of the chamber. Across the Des Moines metro, 18 House seats were contested Tuesday, while ten other central Iowa seats went uncontested, including districts held by Democrats Kenan Judge, Brian Meyer, Megan Srinivas, Mike Jones, Rob Johnson, Sean Bagniewski, Larry McBurney, Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, and Ross Wilburn, along with Republican Jason Sandholdt.

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Heather Sievers Wins District 40 Rematch by 54%

The night’s first turnover came in Iowa House District 40, where Democrat Heather Sievers defeated Republican incumbent Bill Gustoff with 54% of the vote. The contest was a rematch of their 2024 race, which Sievers lost by just one percentage point. This time she prevailed in the district that includes Altoona and parts of Des Moines, running on a platform of funding public education, improving affordability, and rebuilding the economy.

Buck, Walton, and Newton Rosenow Flip Additional Metro Seats

Three other Democrats joined Sievers in unseating Republican incumbents. Molly Buck defeated Ryan Weldon with 54% of the vote in District 41, which represents part of Ankeny, promising to focus on strengthening public education. Tom Walton flipped District 28 with 52% against incumbent David Young, taking a seat that covers southwestern West Des Moines, Adel, and Van Meter in Dallas County; Walton said he would focus on bringing prices down. Mandy Newton Rosenow narrowly defeated incumbent Dan Gehlbach with 50.7% in District 46, which covers parts of Dallas and Polk counties, campaigning on improving water quality, education, and the economy.

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Republicans Hold Key Suburban and Rural Seats

The Democratic gains were not universal across the metro. Republican Brooke Boden held District 21 with 53% of the vote against Democrat Spencer Waugh, retaining the seat covering Indianola, Milo, Lacona, and Knoxville in Warren and Marion counties. Samantha Fett kept District 22 with 53% against Rory Taylor, representing Norwalk, Carlisle, Cumming, and Martensdale. Ray Sorensen won District 23 decisively with 67% against Karen Varley, while Matthew Oleson took District 38 with 52% in Jasper County.

Other Republican incumbents who held their seats include Austin Stubbs in District 45 with 57%, Carter Nordman in District 47 with 59%, Chad Behn in District 48 with 54%, and Brett Barker in District 51 with 54%. Stubbs, who had defeated a Republican incumbent in the June primary, focused his campaign on protecting children in schools and online, while Boden campaigned on prioritizing affordability and Fett on strengthening Iowa’s education system.

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Democrats Defend Existing Metro Strongholds

Democrats also comfortably retained their existing seats in the metro area. Mary Madison won District 31 with 63% against Kevin DuBay, representing West Des Moines and campaigning on improving Iowa’s water quality. Ivette Muhammad took District 33 with 70% against Lynn Hammel, covering Des Moines’ East Village and Union Park and Highland Park neighborhoods, running on economic growth, financial literacy for youth, and community safety. Austin Baeth secured District 36 with 82% against Bruce Michalowski, while Nate Boulton won District 39 with 61%, Amy Tagliareni took District 42 with 55% focusing on property tax relief and cancer prevention, and Jill Alesch held District 43 with 56%.

What the Four Flips Mean for Iowa Politics

With four seats changing party hands, the Republican majority shrinks from 66 seats, though the GOP maintains a comfortable cushion in the 100-member chamber. The results show Democrats flipped seats covering Altoona, Ankeny, and West Des Moines, while Republicans held other seats in the Des Moines metro.