| Election Name: | 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa |
| Country: | Iowa |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Iowa (xrmap collection).svg |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa |
| Previous Year: | 2010 |
| Next Election: | 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa |
| Next Year: | 2014 |
| Seats For Election: | All 4 Iowa seats to the United States House of Representatives |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Last Election1: | 3 |
| Seats1: | 2 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 772,387 |
| Percentage1: | 50.26% |
| Swing1: | 6.89% |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Last Election2: | 2 |
| Seats2: | 2 |
| Popular Vote2: | 726,505 |
| Percentage2: | 47.27% |
| Swing2: | 6.72% |
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the state's four U.S. representatives. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. Primary elections were held on June 5, 2012.[1]
The new congressional map, drawn by the state's Legislative Services Agency and passed with bipartisan support in the state House of Representatives and Senate, was signed into law by Governor Terry Branstad on April 19, 2011. Reflecting population shifts recorded in the 2010 United States census, the new map decreases Iowa's representation from five congressional districts to four.[2]
| United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 2012 [3] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats before | Seats after | +/– | ||
| Democratic | 772,387 | 50.26% | 3 | 2 | -1 | ||
| Republican | 726,505 | 47.27% | 2 | 2 | - | ||
| Socialist Workers | 6,286 | 0.41% | - | ||||
| Independent | 30,291 | 1.97% | - | ||||
| Write-In | 1,380 | 0.09% | - | ||||
| Totals | 1,536,849 | 100% | 5 | 4 | -1 | ||
| Election Name: | 2012 Iowa's 1st congressional district election |
| Country: | Iowa |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 1 |
| Previous Year: | 2010 |
| Next Election: | 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 2 |
| Next Year: | 2014 |
| Image1: | File:Bruce Braley official 110th Congress photo portrait (cropped).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Bruce Braley |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Popular Vote1: | 222,422 |
| Percentage1: | 56.9% |
| Nominee2: | Ben Lange |
| Party2: | Republican Party (US) |
| Popular Vote2: | 162,465 |
| Percentage2: | 41.6% |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| U.S. Representatives | |
| Before Election: | Bruce Braley |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (US) |
| After Election: | Bruce Braley |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (US) |
See also: Iowa's 1st congressional district.
Bruce Braley, a Democrat the incumbent representative from the 1st district in northeastern Iowa since 2007, ran in the new 1st district. Fellow incumbent Dave Loebsack, who lived within the boundaries of the new 1st district in Linn County, but who had represented southeastern Iowa's 2nd district since 2007, moved to Johnson County and ran in the new 2nd district.[4] The 1st district has become more favorable to Democrats with the inclusion of Linn County and its loss of Scott County.[5] Braley won the Democratic nomination unopposed.[6]
| Source | Ranking | As of | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | The Cook Political Report[11] | November 5, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Rothenberg[12] | November 2, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Roll Call[13] | November 4, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Sabato's Crystal Ball[14] | November 5, 2012 | ||
| align=left | NY Times[15] | November 4, 2012 | ||
| RCP[16] | November 4, 2012 | |||
| align=left | The Hill[17] | November 4, 2012 |
| Election Name: | 2012 Iowa's 2nd congressional district election |
| Country: | Iowa |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 2 |
| Previous Year: | 2010 |
| Next Election: | 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 1 |
| Next Year: | 2014 |
| Image1: | File:Dave Loebsack official photo (cropped).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Dave Loebsack |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Popular Vote1: | 211,863 |
| Percentage1: | 55.6% |
| Nominee2: | John Archer |
| Party2: | Republican Party (US) |
| Popular Vote2: | 161,977 |
| Percentage2: | 42.5% |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| U.S. Representative | |
| Before Election: | Dave Loebsack |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (US) |
| After Election: | Dave Loebsack |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (US) |
See also: Iowa's 2nd congressional district.
None of Iowa's current members of Congress resided in the newly drawn 2nd district; however, Democrat Dave Loebsack moved from Linn County to Johnson County in order to avoid a primary against Bruce Braley and continue representing southeastern Iowa.[4] The 2nd district became slightly more favorable to Republicans as a result of the inclusion of Scott County, but retains Democratic-leaning Johnson County.[5]
Withdrew
| Source | Ranking | As of | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | The Cook Political Report | November 5, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Rothenberg | November 2, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Roll Call | November 4, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Sabato's Crystal Ball | November 5, 2012 | ||
| align=left | NY Times | November 4, 2012 | ||
| RCP | November 4, 2012 | |||
| align=left | The Hill | November 4, 2012 |
| Election Name: | 2012 Iowa's 3rd congressional district election |
| Country: | Iowa |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 3 |
| Previous Year: | 2010 |
| Next Election: | 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 3 |
| Next Year: | 2014 |
| Image1: | File:Tom Latham 113th Congress.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Tom Latham |
| Party1: | Republican Party (US) |
| Popular Vote1: | 202,000 |
| Percentage1: | 52.8% |
| Nominee2: | Leonard Boswell |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Popular Vote2: | 168,632 |
| Percentage2: | 43.6% |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| U.S. Representative | |
| Before Election: | Tom Latham |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (US) |
| After Election: | Tom Latham |
| After Party: | Republican Party (US) |
See also: Iowa's 3rd congressional district and Iowa's 4th congressional district.
Leonard Boswell, a Democrat who represented the 3rd district in central Iowa since 1997, and Tom Latham, a Republican who represented the 4th district in northern and central Iowa since 1995, both ran in the new 3rd district.[23] Latham, who lived in the new 4th district, moved south to avoid facing fellow Republican Steve King in a primary.[24]
Approximately half of the new 3rd district was at the time represented by Boswell, whereas the new 3rd district contained than 20 per cent of the area currently represented by Latham. However, Latham had $983,500 cash on hand at the end of March 2011, whereas Boswell had just $173,815.
The first debate was held October 10, 2012 at 7 pm, sponsored by KCCI and the Des Moines Register.[25]
| Source | Ranking | As of | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | The Cook Political Report | November 5, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Rothenberg | November 2, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Roll Call | November 4, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Sabato's Crystal Ball | November 5, 2012 | ||
| align=left | NY Times | November 4, 2012 | ||
| RCP | November 4, 2012 | |||
| align=left | The Hill | November 4, 2012 |
| Election Name: | 2012 Iowa's 4th congressional district election |
| Country: | Iowa |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 4 |
| Previous Year: | 2010 |
| Next Election: | 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 4 |
| Next Year: | 2014 |
| Image1: | File:Steve King, official portrait, 110th Congress (cropped).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Steve King |
| Party1: | Republican Party (US) |
| Popular Vote1: | 200,063 |
| Percentage1: | 52.9% |
| Nominee2: | Christie Vilsack |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Popular Vote2: | 169,470 |
| Percentage2: | 44.9% |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| U.S. Representative | |
| Before Election: | Steve King |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (US) |
| After Election: | Steve King |
| After Party: | Republican Party (US) |
See also: Iowa's 4th congressional district and Iowa's 5th congressional district. Steve King, a Republican represented western Iowa's 5th district since 2003, ran in the new 4th district. The new 4th district comprises mostly territory which King represented and which tends to vote for Republican candidates.
Martin James Monroe also ran.
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Steve King (R) | Christie Vilsack (D) | Martin Monroe (I) | Undecided | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D-CREDO)[28] | September 24–25, 2012 | 577 (LV) | ± % | align=center | 48% | 45% | — | 7% | |
| Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D-Vilsack)[29] | September 22–25, 2012 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | align=center | 46% | 44% | 4% | 6% | |
| American Viewpoint (R-American Future Fund)[30] | September 23–24, 2012 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | align=center | 48% | 41% | — | 11% | |
| Public Policy Polling (D-House Majority PAC)[31] | January 18–23, 2012 | 974 (RV) | ± 3.1% | align=center | 49% | 43% | — | 8% |
| Source | Ranking | As of | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | The Cook Political Report | November 5, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Rothenberg | November 2, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Roll Call | November 4, 2012 | ||
| align=left | Sabato's Crystal Ball | November 5, 2012 | ||
| align=left | NY Times | November 4, 2012 | ||
| RCP | November 4, 2012 | |||
| align=left | The Hill | November 4, 2012 |