Twitter/Getty Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) faced Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield in the 2020 election.
Iowa voters have re-elected Republican Senator Joni Ernst, Decision Desk HQ projects. Her race against Theresa Greenfield was one of several that Democrats targeted in hopes of flipping the U.S. Senate.
Libertarian candidate Rick Stewart and Independent candidate Suzanne Herzog were also on the ballot. The polls were open in the Hawkeye state from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day. According to Iowa Starting Line, more than 920,000 people had voted early as of October 31, accounting for nearly half of the state’s 2.2 million registered voters.
Follow the 2020 Senate election results courtesy of Heavy’s partners at Decision Desk HQ below:
See the Most Recent Senate Election Results From Iowa & the Map of Votes Across the State Here
The results in the race for Iowa’s contested Senate seat can be viewed in the widget below, which updates in real-time. Hovering over each county will show localized results.
Election officials in Iowa will continue to accept absentee ballots until noon on Monday, November 9, as long as the ballots were postmarked by November 2. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate urged Iowans to make their voices heard, referring to voters as “superheroes” on Twitter and reminding absentee voters to submit their ballots by the deadline.
Iowa voters were also watching four House races that were all expected to be competitive, as CNBC reported. In the 1st congressional district, Representative Abby Finkenauer, who flipped the district blue in 2018, sought a second term against Republican challenger Ashley Hinson. In the 2nd district, Democratic former teacher Rita Hart competed against Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a doctor.
In the 3rd district, Representative Cynthia Axne faced a rematch with Republican David Young, whom she beat by 2 points in 2018. And in the 4th district, current state senator Randy Feenstra was up against Democrat J.D. Scholten. Feenstra defeated the incumbent, Steve King, during the primaries.
The results for the House races can be viewed below by clicking on Iowa on the map or by selecting Iowa from the dropdown menu. Hovering over the district will show the results for each race.
The 2020 presidential election between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden was labeled a toss-up in Iowa by 270toWin, based on polling. The Iowa presidential election results can be viewed in the widget below, which updates in real-time. Hovering over each county will show localized results.
Voters Appeared Split Between Ernst & Greenfield Ahead of Election Day
Getty Joni Ernst vs Theresa Greenfield.
The race between Ernst and Greenfield could go either way if polling numbers are to be believed. An average of recent polls compiled by RealClearPolitics showed the two candidates in a statistical tie. Two separate polls released on October 31 and November 1 added to the uncertainty over who truly had the advantage.
A poll conducted by Selzer & Company on behalf of the Des Moines Register, which FiveThirtyEight ranks as an A+ polling organization, found Ernst leading Greenfield 46% to 42%. Another 4% of those surveyed, who had already voted, did not disclose which candidate they had supported. A combined 6% were either unsure or planned to vote for someone else. The poll’s margin of error was 3.4%.
Emerson College released its final poll on November 1. This poll showed Greenfield ahead 48% to 44% over Ernst, with 6% still undecided. The margin of error was 3.9%.
Ernst Was the First Woman Ever Elected to Serve Iowa in the Senate & Greenfield Is a Political Newcomer
Getty President Trump speaks with Republican members of the Senate, including Joni Ernst of Iowa and Jeff Flake of Arizona, at the White House on December 5, 2017.
Ernst became the first woman ever to represent Iowa in the Senate when she was elected in 2014. In that race, she garnered about 52% of the vote against Democrat Bruce Braley, who received about 43% of the total votes, according to a New York Times tabulation.
Ernst, who was considered as a running mate for then-candidate Trump, has been a strong supporter of the president throughout her term. The Associated Press reported in mid-October that her political fate appeared to be “tied” with Trump’s. The Selzer & Co. poll appeared to reflect that sentiment. The Des Moines Register reported that Ernst’s late surge was likely due to votes from “groups that have been core supporters of the Republican president.” The newspaper reported men, white evangelicals and rural voters preferred Ernst over Greenfield.
Greenfield, who grew up on a farm and worked in real estate, has never held elected office before. But her candidacy attracted national attention and support from Democratic groups such as Emily’s List. Greenfield focused on health care and Social Security during her campaign. She attacked Ernst for her votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Follow the 2020 Presidential Race Results From Across the Country & the Updated Electoral College Map Below
Heavy has partnered with Decision Desk HQ for live election results from across the country. Those results can be seen below:
Decision Desk HQ is also tracking the race to 270 electoral college votes, the number needed for either Trump or Biden to secure the presidency. Those results are available below:
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