Democrat Who Dropped Out Beats Republican in County Trump Won by 20 Points
Democrat Eric Armstrong won the race for Iowa House District 20, despite ending his campaign in September for health reasons.
Eric Armstrong, a Democrat, secured victory in Iowa House District 20, a Republican stronghold, despite withdrawing from the race due to health concerns earlier in the year. Armstrong, who was initially running to replace Josh Turek in the U.S. Senate race, secured 55.2% of the vote compared to his Republican opponent Keith Jones' 44.8%.
Armstrong still appeared on the ballot after dropping out, and despite having withdrawn, he still won by 865 votes. Prior to 2024, Turek had won the district by a narrower margin of 561 votes. While the district leans Democrat, it is located within Pottawattamie County, which President Donald Trump won in 2024 by 20 points, with 59% of the vote to Harris' 39%.
This outcome underscores the broad Democratic wave across the country, with Democrats gaining control of the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and several governorships. Despite Turek's absence from work, Hagle, a University of Iowa professor, believes Armstrong's missed votes will not be a significant issue due to Iowa's part-time legislature.
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