Iowa

IOWA

7 Electoral Votes

Population
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Iowa Secretary of State)

Total Population, July 1, 2008 est.	3,002,555
Total Registration, Nov. 1, 2008 (active)	2,003,901	prelim. 47,553 Election Day registrations

Rep. 592,397 (29.56%) Dem. 698,839 (34.87%) No-Party 711,705 (35.52%) Other 960 >
Iowa has: 99 counties, 949 cities.
Five largest counties: Polk, Linn, Scott, Black Hawk, Johnson. >
Five largest cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Waterloo. >

Government
Governor: Chet Culver (D) elected Nov. 2006.
State Legislature: General Assembly House: 100 seats Senate: 50 seats
Local: Cities and Counties NACO Counties
U.S. House: 3D, 2R - 1. B.Braley (D) | 2. D.Loebsack (D) | 3. L.Boswell (D) | 4. T.Latham (R) | 5. Steve King (R).
U.S. Senate: Tom Harkin (D) up for re-election in 2008, Chuck Grassley (R) re-elected in 2004.

2008 update
U.S. Senate: In his bid for a fourth term, Sen. Tom Harkin (D) easily defeated businessman Christopher Reed (R) by 62.71% to 37.29% (941,665 to 560,006 votes).
U.S. House: All five congressmen were re-elected with comfortable margins. The U.S. House delegation remains at 3D, 2R.
MORE

The Hawkeye State

State of Iowa
Secretary of State

IA Democratic Party
IA Green Party
Libertarian Party of IA
Republican Party of IA
Constitution Party of IA

Des Moines Register
Media (Newsp.)
TV, Radio

IowaPolitics.com
Politics1-IA

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting Eligible Population*: 2,199,849.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 69.9%.
...turnout rate fifth highest in the nation.

Total Registration: 2,003,901.
According to the Secretary of State, "Iowa has one of the top registration rates in the nation with 92-percent of voting-eligible Iowans registered to vote."

According to the Secretary of State, county auditors received 557,000 absentee ballots.

Official Results >
+Obama/Biden (Dem.)	828,940	(53.93)
McCain/Palin (Rep.)	682,379	(44.39)
Baldwin/Castle (Const.)	4,445	(0.29)
McKinney/Clemente (Grn.)	1,423	(0.09)
Barr/Root (Lib.)	4,590	(0.30)
Nader/Gonazalez (P&F)	8,014	(0.52)
Harris/Kennedy (SWP)	292
La Riva/Moses (PSL)	121
Moore/Alexander (Soc.)	182
Write-Ins	6,737	(0.44)
Total........1,537,123

Over votes: 2,338
Under votes: 4,504

...Total turnout: 1,546,453

2008 Overview
In contrast to the very close races in 2004 and 2008, Obama won Iowa fairly comfortably, gaining a plurality of 146,561 votes (9.54 percentage points). Obama-Biden carried 53 counties to 46 for McCain-Palin.

Turnout of 1.54 million surpassed the 2004 record of 1.52 million.
General Election Details
Obama/Allies | McCain/Allies | Nader

[Primary Election: June 3, 2008]

Precinct Caucuses -- Thursday, January 3, 2008

Registration, Jan. 3, 2008 (active): Rep. 576,231 (29.94%) Dem. 606,209 (31.50%) No-Party 742,124 (38.56%) Other 3 Total 1,924,567 >

Main Iowa Caucuses Page

Democrats
57 Delegates (45 Pledged, 12 Unpledged) and 8 Alternates. >
1.41% of the 4,049 Delegate Votes. 1.35% of the 4,234 Delegate Votes.

January 3, 2008 - Precinct Caucuses.
March 15, 2008 - County Conventions.
April 26, 2008 - District Conventions.
June 14, 2008 - State Convention in Des Moines.

Precinct Caucus Results 1,781 of 1,781 precincts
State Delegate Equivalents

Barack Obama
939.53

37.58%

John Edwards
743.77

29.75%

Hillary Clinton
736.65

29.47%

Bill Richardson
52.75

2.11%

Joe Biden
23.26

0.93%

Uncommitted
3.46

0.14%

Chris Dodd
0.58

0.02%

2,500

239,582 caucus attendees

Reactions: Obama, Clinton, Edwards.
Looking at the results by county, Obama won the most state delegate equivalents in 41 counties, Edwards in 29 counties and Clinton in 25 counties; there were ties in four counties.

Republicans
40 Delegates: 3 RNC; 22 at-large; 15 by CD (3 x 5 CDs). >
1.68% of the 2,380 Delegates.

January 3, 2008 - Precinct Caucuses...straw poll; no bearing on selection of delegates.
April 19, 2008 - Congressional District Conventions...CD delegates elected.
June 14, 2008 - Republican State Convention in Des Moines....at-large delegates elected.

Precinct Caucus Results certified final

Mike Huckabee
40,954

34.41%

Mitt Romney
30,021

25.23%

Fred Thompson
15,960

13.40%

John McCain
15,536

13.11%

Ron Paul
11,841

9.96%

Rudy Giuliani
4,099

3.45%

Duncan Hunter
506

0.44%

Others: Brownback (1), Cort (5), Cox (10), Fendig (1), Tancredo (5), Und. (14), Wuensche (2), Keyes 247.

Total
119,202

Looking at the results by county, Huckabee won the most votes in 74 counties, Romney in 24 counties (a strip of seven counties along the western edge of the state, a cluster of 14 in eastern part plus three scattered); Paul won in Jefferson County in the Southeast part of the state.

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Voting Eligible Population: 2,156,389.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 69.9%.

Registration: Rep. 609,046 (30.89%) Dem. 601,388 (30.50%) No-Party 761,301 (38.61%)... Total 1,971,735.

Early voting begins and absentee ballots mailed starting: September 23, 2004.

Voter registration deadline: October 23, 2004

Official Results
Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)	741,898	(49.23)
+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)	751,957	(49.90)
Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.)	1,304	(0.09)
Cobb/LaMarche (IAGrn.)	1,141	(0.08)
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)	2,992	(0.20)
Harris/Trowe (SWP)	373	(0.02)
Nader/Camejo (Petition)	5,973	(0.40)
Van Auken/Lawrence (Petition)	176	(0.01)
Write-Ins	1,904	(0.13)
Total........1,506,908

2004 Overview
Iowans saw much of Sen. Kerry during the caucuses campaign. Kerry later gave close consideration to Gov. Tom Vilsack as a potential running mate. In the closing weeks of the campaign the candidates and surrogates made frequent visits. When the votes were counted, Iowa had flipped Republican; Bush-Cheney narrowly won with a plurality of 10,059 votes (0.67 percentage points). Bush carried 67 counties to Kerry's 32. 191,345 more votes were cast in the presidential race than in 2000.
General Election Details | Photos
Kerry/Allies | Bush-Cheney '04

[State Primary June 8, 2004]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Voting Eligible Population: 2,082,950.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 63.2%.

Registration: Rep. 590,209 (32.05%) Dem. 565,561 (30.71%) No-Party 685,576 (37.23%)... Total 1,841,346.

Official Results
+Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)	638,517	(48.54)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.)	634,373	(48.22)
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)	3,209	(0.24)
Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)	29,374	(2.23)
Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)	5,731	(0.44)
Harris/Trowe (SWP)	190	(0.01)
Phillips/Frazier (Const.)	613	(0.05)
McReynolds/Hollis (Soc.)	107	(0.01)
Hagelin/Goldhaber (pet.)	2,281	(0.17)
Scattering	1,168	(0.09)
Total........1,315,563

2000 Overview
The Gore-Lieberman ticket eked out a narrow win, finishing with a plurality of just 4,144 votes (0.32 percentage points). Bush carried 68 counties to Gore's 31. Typically in Iowa Democratic candidates do well East of I-35, the main North-South highway, and Republicans do well in the West. This held true in 2000 as Bush swept all counties in the Western-most quarter of the state, while Gore did well in counties along the Mississippi River in the East, as well as in the Des Moines-Fort Dodge and Mason City areas.
General Election Activity

1992 and 1996 General Elections

1992

Clinton (Dem.)........586,353	(43.28)
Bush (Rep.)...........504,891	(37.27)
Perot (Ind.) ...........253,468	(18.71)
Others(11+w/ins).......9,895	(0.73)
Total........1,354,607

1996

Clinton (Dem.).......620,258	(50.26)
Dole (Rep.)............492,644	(39.92)
Perot (Ref.)............105,159	(8.52)
Others (5+w/ins).....16,014	(1.30)
Total........1,234,075

2004 page >
2000 page >