2002 Midterm Elections in Iowa
Both Gov. Tom Vilsack and Sen. Tom Harkin faced re-election in 2002, and redistricting ensured several tight congressional races and put both chambers of the General Assembly in play. 

As of June 1, 2002, Democrats held 44 of 100 seats in the House and 21 of 50 Senate seats.  At that time spokesperson for the Iowa Democratic Party said Democrats believed they could win both chambers: "Redistricting is done by non-partisan committee and favored Democrats especially in the House where we have 20 open seats with above 50% Dem performance and six challengers in seats with 50%+ Democrat performance. We also have six unopposed incumbents and very few truly vulnerable House incumbents."

Incumbents generally won.  Democrats kept the governorship and the Senate seat, but they did not, as they had hoped, pick up any congressional seats.  Neither did they win control in either chamber of the General Assembly, although they did hold steady in the Senate and gain two House seats. 


Governor
Tom Vilsack & 
Sally Pederson (D) inc.
 540,449
52.69%
Doug Gross & 
Debi Durham (R)
 456,612
44.51%
Jay Robinson & 
Holly Jane Hart (G)
14,628 
1.43%
Clyde Cleveland & Richard Campagna (L)
 13,098
1.28%
Write-In Votes
 1,015
0.10%
Total
 1,025,802
 
 plurality: 83,837

Other Statewide Offices:
Secretary of State:  C.Culver (D) inc. 526,600   M.Hartwig (R) 420,290  D.Arenz (G) 16,366   S.S.Olson (L) 21,434  ...Total: 985,041
Auditor of State: P.J.Deluhery (D) 442,040   D.A.Vaudt (R) 464,469   C.A.Welty (L) 49,206   ...Total: 956,155
Treasurer of State: M.L.Fitzgerald (D) inc. 534,714   M.Whitaker (R) 421,574   T.Hird (L) 19,687   ...Total: 976,319
Secretary of Agriculture: P.Judge (D) inc. 490,561  J.Askew (R) 446,136   B.R.Depew (G) 21,416  F.Groszkruger (L) 11,211  R.Tigner (Petition) 11, 776   ...Total: 981,447
Attorney General: T.Miller (D) inc. 612,167   D.Millage (R) 364,480   E.F.Noyes (L) 16,607   ...Total: 993,663
 
U.S. Senate
Tom Harkin (D) inc.
 554,278
54.18%
Greg Ganske (R)
 447,892
43.78%
Timothy A. Harthan (G)
11,340
1.11%
Richard J. Moore (L)
8,864
0.87%
Write-In Votes
701
0.07%
Total
 1,023,075
 
 plurality: 106,386
 

U.S. House:
1st District--Central Eastern Iowa (12 counties from Clayton County in the North down to Scott County  and as far West as Black Hawk and Butler Counties).  The old 1st went 53 percent for Gore; under the new 1st boundaries it would have been 52.2 percent.- Ann Hutchinson (D)  |  Jim Nussle (R) inc
1st District
Ann Hutchinson (D)
 83,779
42.65%
Jim Nussle (R) inc.
 112,280
57.15%
Write-In Votes
 396
0.20%
Total
 196,455
 
 plurality: 28,501 -- Nussle won in all 12 counties.
 

2nd District-South Eastern Iowa (15 counties, extends as far West as Wayne County and runs up to Linn County).  The old 2nd went 51 percent for Gore; under the new 2nd boundaries it would have been 53.1 percent.- Julie Thomas (D)  |  Jim Leach (R) inc
2nd District
Julie Thomas (D)
 94,767
45.74%
Jim Leach (R) inc.
 108,130
52.19%
Kevin Litten (L)
4,178
2.02%
Write-In Votes
96
0.05%
Total
 207,171
 
 plurality: 13,363 -- Leach won in all of the district's 15 counties except Davis, Lee and Wapello
 

3rd District-Central Iowa (12 counties including Polk).  The old 3rd voted 47 percent for Gore; under the new 3rd boundaries it would have been 49 percent.- Leonard Boswell (D) inc  |  Stan Thompson (R)
3rd District
Leonard L. Boswell (D) inc.
 115,367
53.41%
Stan Thompson (R)
 97,285
45.04%
Jeffrey J. Smith (L)
2, 689
1.24%
Edwin B. Fruit (SWP)
 569
0.26%
Write-In Votes
 75
0.03%
Total
 215,985
 
 plurality: 18,082  -- Boswell won in 8 counties and Thompson in 4;
most of his margin came in Polk, which he won by 15,874 votes (77,361 to  61,514).
 

4th District-North Central Iowa (Counties along the Northern border from Emmet to Allamakee; extends all the way down to Madison and Warren Counties south of Polk; 28 counties total).  The old 4th voted 49 percent for Gore; under the new 4th boundaries it would have been 49 percent.- John Norris (D)  | Tom Latham (R) inc
4th District
John Norris (D)
90,784
43.07%
Tom Latham (R) inc.
 115,430
54.76%
Terry L. Wilson (L)
 2,952
1.40%
Jim Hennager (OE)
 1,544
0.73%
Write-In Votes
 64
0.03%
Total
 210,774
 
 plurality: 24,646  -- Latham won in all 28 counties.
 

5th District-Western Iowa (A strip from three to five counties wide along the Western edge of the state running 196 miles from Minnesota in the north to Missouri; encompasses 32 counties).  The old 5th voted 42 percent for Gore; under the new 5th boundaries it would have been 38.9 percent.- Paul Shomshor (D)  |  Steve King (R)
Note: King was chosen as the Republican nominee by party delegates meeting in convention in Denison on June 29 after the primary failed to produce a winner (35 percent required).  He won on the third ballot over Brent Siegrist (R), John Redwine (R), and Jeff Ballenger (R).
5th District
Paul Shomshor (D)
 68,853
37.78%
Steve King (R)
 113,257
62.15%
Write-In Votes
 127
0.07%
Total
 182,237
 
 plurality: 44,404  -- King won in 31 of 32 counties, with Shomshor winning in Pottawattamie.
 

 Copyright © 2002, 2003  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action