September 22, 2026
2026 Midterm Elections in Iowa, September 2026
Democrats Up in Iowa... Elections Underscored by Negative Views of Trump
In the contest for U.S. Senate in Iowa, eight points separate Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson among registered voters statewide. The U.S. Senate race in Iowa mirrors the congressional generic ballot question in the state which gives the Democratic candidate on the ballot a five-point edge against the Republican. In Iowa’s gubernatorial contest, Democrat Rob Sand also has an advantage against Republican Zach Lahn. Voters’ party affiliation and opinion of President Trump’s job performance factors heavily into this year’s elections.
This year’s elections play out in a political environment where Iowa’s registered voters deliver a decisively negative verdict on President Donald Trump, with nearly six in ten saying they disapprove of his job performance and a plurality reporting their vote for Congress is mostly a vote against President Trump rather than a vote for him.
- Among registered voters, Turek leads Hinson 50% to 42% in the contest for U.S. Senate in Iowa. Regardless of the candidate they support, voters think Hinson (59%) will defeat Turek (37%).
- On the generic congressional ballot question, 50% of registered voters in Iowa favor the Democrat over the Republican (45%). However, a majority (54%) thinks the Republican on the ballot, not the Democrat (42%), will win the election.
- A plurality of Iowa registered voters (43%) say their congressional vote is mostly a vote against President Trump rather than a vote for him (22%). More than one in three (35%) report Trump is not much of a factor in their vote. Of those who say President Trump is not a factor, a majority approves of his job performance.
- In Iowa's gubernatorial race, Sand leads Lahn (54% to 42%) among the statewide electorate, with independents breaking toward Sand (57% to 33% for Lahn). Regardless of whom they support, a majority (56%) say Sand will win the election.
- 41% of registered voters in Iowa approve of the job President Trump is doing in office while a majority of voters (58%) disapprove.
- 46% of voters statewide say their personal family finances have gotten worse in the past year compared with 39% who report they have stayed about the same. 15% report they have gotten better.
For additional data pertaining to the Midterm Elections in Iowa, click on the link to the full table packet in the Survey Data button below.
Methodology
This Marist Poll Iowa survey of 1,050 Iowa registered voters was conducted September 17th through September 20th, 2026 by the Marist Poll. Registered voters 18 years of age and older residing in Iowa were contacted through a multi-mode design: By phone using live interviewers, by text, or online. Results for registered voters (n=1,050) are statistically significant within ±4.4 percentage points.