Governor of Iowa
| Iowa Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $130,000 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $3,220,176 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Iowa Constitution, Article IV, Section I the Executive Department |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Governor of Iowa Kim Reynolds | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | 2026 |
| Last election: | 2022 |
| Other Iowa Executive Offices | |
| Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Secretary of State •Attorney General •Treasurer •Auditor •Secretary of Agriculture •Director of Education •Insurance Commissioner •Natural Resources Director •Labor Commissioner •Utilities Board | |
TheGovernor of the State of Iowa is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Iowa.[1] The governor is popularlyelected every four years by a plurality and has no term limit. Prior to a constitutional amendment passed in 1972, the governor's term had been two years.[2]
Iowa has a Republicantrifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Iowa has a Republicantriplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current Governor of Iowa isKim Reynolds (R). Reynolds assumed office in 2017.
Authority
Thestate Constitution addresses the office of the governor inArticle IV, The Executive Department.
Under Article IV, Section I:
The supreme executive power of this state shall be vested in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled the governor of the state of Iowa.[1] |
Qualifications
According toArticle IV, Section 6, a candidate for governor is required to be:
- at least 30 years old by the time of election
- a United States citizen
- a resident of Iowa for at least two years before the election
Additionally, underArticle IV, Section 15, no governor may hold any other federal or state office while serving.[1]
Elections
Iowa elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Iowa, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030, and 2034 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Tuesday after the second Monday in the January following an election. If two candidates are tied, the General Assembly casts ballots to choose the winner.[2]
Term limits
Iowa governors do not face any term limits.
Partisan composition
The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Iowa governors from 1992 to 2013.
Election results
See also: Iowa gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2030
There are noofficial candidates yet for this election.
See also: Iowa gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa
Paul Dahl (D),Rob Sand (D), andJulie Stauch (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa on June 2, 2026.
| There are noincumbents in this race. | |||
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Republican primary
Republican primary for Governor of Iowa
Eddie Andrews (R),Randy Feenstra (R),Zach Lahn (R),Brad Sherman (R), andAdam Steen (R) are running in the Republican primary for Governor of Iowa on June 2, 2026.
| There are noincumbents in this race. | |||
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| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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See also: Iowa gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Governor of Iowa
IncumbentKim Reynolds (R) defeatedDeidre DeJear (D) andRick Stewart (L) in the general election for Governor of Iowa on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kim Reynolds (R) | 58.0 | 709,198 |
 | Deidre DeJear (D) | 39.5 | 482,950 | |
 | Rick Stewart (L) | 2.4 | 28,998 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1% | 718 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 1,221,864 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa
Deidre DeJear (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Deidre DeJear | 99.5 | 145,555 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5% | 801 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 146,356 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joshua Kuhn-McRoberts (D)
- Ras Smith (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for Governor of Iowa
IncumbentKim Reynolds (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Iowa on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kim Reynolds | 99.0 | 185,293 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.0% | 1,808 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 187,101 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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See also: Iowa gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018
General election
General election for Governor of Iowa
IncumbentKim Reynolds (R) defeatedFred Hubbell (D),Jake Porter (L), andGary Siegwarth (Clear Water Party of Iowa Party) in the general election for Governor of Iowa on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kim Reynolds (R) | 50.3 | 667,275 |
 | Fred Hubbell (D) | 47.5 | 630,986 | |
 | Jake Porter (L) | 1.6 | 21,426 | |
 | Gary Siegwarth (Clear Water Party of Iowa Party) | 0.6 | 7,463 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0% | 488 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 1,327,638 (100% precincts reporting) | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Fred Hubbell | 55.5 | 99,245 |
 | Cathy Glasson | 20.6 | 36,815 | |
 | John Norris | 11.5 | 20,498 | |
| Andy McGuire | 5.3 | 9,404 | ||
 | Nate Boulton | 5.1 | 9,082 | |
 | Ross Wilburn | 2.2 | 3,880 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. | Total votes: 178,924 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
Republican primary for Governor of Iowa
IncumbentKim Reynolds (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Iowa on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kim Reynolds | 100.0 | 94,118 |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. | Total votes: 94,118 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ron Corbett (R)
- Steven Ray (R)
Libertarian Party primary
Libertarian primary for Governor of Iowa
Jake Porter (L) defeatedMarco Battaglia (L) in the Libertarian Party primary for Governor of Iowa on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jake Porter | 58.4 | 991 |
 | Marco Battaglia | 41.6 | 705 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. | Total votes: 1,696 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Vacancies
Details of vacancies are addressed underArticle IV, Section IV.
Power devolves to the lieutenant governor at any time when the governor is unable or unwilling to discharge the office, under Article IV, Section 4.
Section 17, also referenced statutorily in §7.14 of the Code, grants the powers and duties of the governor to the lieutenant governor for the remaining portion of the term.
Section 19 governs vacancy procedure when both the governor and lieutenant governor are unable to serve. Power first devolves to the President Pro Tem of the Senate and then to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. After that, theIowa Supreme Court must call an extraordinary session of the General Assembly to choose an acting governor.
Duties
As chief administrator ofIowa's government, the governor is responsible for the effective and efficient workings of the various state departments and agencies. The governor appoints department and agency heads and other state officials not elected by the people. The governor's appointments are generally subject to approval by theSenate.
The governor takes final action on all bills passed by theIowa General Assembly. The governor may approve bills by signing them or disapprove bills by vetoing them. Each year, the governor reports on the financial condition of the state and makes recommendations on thestate's budget. The governor has the power to call a special session of the General Assembly.[1]
Under (Article IV of the Iowa Constitution, other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Requiring written information from other officers of the executive branch on any aspect of their duties (§ 8).
- Making appointments to fill all vacancies when the law does not otherwise prescribe the method for doing so (§ 10).
- Convening, by proclamation, extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly (§ 11).
- Periodically giving the 'State of the State' address (§ 12).
- Adjourning the General Assembly when they cannot agree to do so themselves (§ 13)
- Granting pardons, reprieves, and commutations, excluding convictions for treason and impeachment (§ 16)
- Officially using the Seal of the Great State of Iowa (§ 20).
- Signing all official commissions and grant given by the state, which are officially made in the name of the people of Iowa (§ 21).
Divisions
Note:Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Iowa has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, pleaseemail us.
State budget
Role in state budget
- See also:Iowa state budget and finances
The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[3]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies betweenJune andJuly.
- Agency requests are submitted to thegovernor byOctober 1.
- Public hearings are held inDecember.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to theIowa State Legislature byFebruary 1.
- The legislature adopts a budget inApril orMay.
- The fiscal year begins inJuly.
Iowa is one of 44 states in which the governor hasline item veto authority.[3][4]
The governor is statutorily required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is statutorily required to adopt a balanced budget.[3]
Governor's office budget
The combined governor and lieutenant governor proposed budget for 2025 was $3,220,176.[5]
Compensation
The salaries of elected and appointed executives in Iowa are determined by theIowa State Legislature.[6]Article IV, Section 15 of theIowa Constitution states the following:
| Text of Section 15: Terms--Compensation The official terms of the governor and lieutenant governor shall commence on the Tuesday after the second Monday of January next after their election and shall continue until their successors are elected and qualify. The governor and lieutenant governor shall be paid compensation and expenses as provided by law. The lieutenant governor, while acting as governor, shall be paid the compensation and expenses prescribed for the governor.[1] |
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[8]
2020
In 2020, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[9]
2019
In 2019, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[10]
2018
In 2018, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[11]
2017
In 2017, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[12]
2016
In 2016, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[13]
2015
In 2015, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[14]
2014
In 2014, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[15]
2013
In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[16]
2012
In 2012, the governor was paid an estimated$130,000, according to theCouncil of State Governments.
2010
In 2010, the governor was paid $130,000 a year, the 24th highest gubernatorial salary in America at the time.
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
From 1992 to 2013, Iowa had Democratic governors in office for 12 years while there were Republican governors in office for 10 years, including the last three.
Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82 percent) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27 percent) from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of theOffice of the Governor of Iowa, theIowa State Senate and theIowa House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Iowa state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Iowa enjoyed a nine-year period in the top-10 of the SQLI ranking between 2003 and 2012, under both divided government and a Democratic trifecta. During the period of the study, Iowa was in the top-10 of the SQLI ranking for twelve out of twenty years. Iowa claimed the top spot in the SQLI ranking twice, once in 2009 and again in 2012. The state’s lowest SQLI ranking came in 1995 (14th) under divided government.
- SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 3.50
- SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 12.00
- SQLI average with divided government: 8.87
Historical officeholders
There have been 43 Governors of Iowa since 1846. Of the 43 officeholders, 32 were Republican, 10 were Democrat and one was Whig.[17]
| List of officeholders from 1846-present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Ansel Briggs | 1846 - 1850 |  Democratic | ||
| 2 | Stephen Hempstead | 1850 - 1854 | Democratic | ||
| 3 | James Wilson Grimes | 1854 - 1858 | Whig | ||
| 4 | Ralph Phillips Lowe | 1858 - 1860 |  Republican | ||
| 5 | Samuel Jordan Kirkwood | 1860 - 1864 | Republican | ||
| 6 | William Milo Stone | 1864 - 1868 | Republican | ||
| 7 | Samuel Merrill | 1868 - 1872 | Republican | ||
| 8 | Cyrus Clay Carpenter | 1872 - 1876 | Republican | ||
| 9 | Samuel Jordan Kirkwood | 1876 - 1877 | Republican | ||
| 10 | Joshua G. Newbold | 1877 - 1878 | Republican | ||
| 11 | John Henry Gear | 1878 - 1882 | Republican | ||
| 12 | Buren Robinson Sherman | 1882 - 1886 | Republican | ||
| 13 | William Larrabee | 1886 - 1890 | Republican | ||
| 14 | Horace Boies | 1890 - 1894 | Democratic | ||
| 15 | Frank Darr Jackson | 1894 - 1896 | Republican | ||
| 16 | Francis Marion Drake | 1896 - 1898 | Republican | ||
| 17 | Leslie Mortier Shaw | 1898 - 1902 | Republican | ||
| 18 | Albert Baird Cummins | 1902 - 1908 | Republican | ||
| 19 | Warren Garst | 1908 - 1909 | Republican | ||
| 20 | Beryl Franklin Carroll | 1909 - 1913 | Republican | ||
| 21 | George Washington Clarke | 1913 - 1917 | Republican | ||
| 22 | William Lloyd Harding | 1917 - 1921 | Republican | ||
| 23 | Nathan Edward Kendall | 1921 - 1925 | Republican | ||
| 24 | John Hammill | 1925 - 1931 | Republican | ||
| 25 | Daniel Webster Turner | 1931 - 1933 | Republican | ||
| 26 | Clyde Laverne Herring | 1933 - 1937 | Democratic | ||
| 27 | Nelson George Kraschel | 1937 - 1939 | Democratic | ||
| 28 | George Allison Wilson | 1939 - 1943 | Republican | ||
| 29 | Bourke Blakemore Hickenlooper | 1943 - 1945 | Republican | ||
| 30 | Robert Donald Blue | 1945 - 1949 | Republican | ||
| 31 | William S. Beardsley | 1949 - 1954 | Republican | ||
| 32 | Leo Elthon | 1954 - 1955 | Republican | ||
| 33 | Leo Arthur Hoegh | 1955 - 1957 | Republican | ||
| 34 | Herschel C. Loveless | 1957 - 1961 | Democratic | ||
| 35 | Norman Arthur Erbe | 1961 - 1963 | Republican | ||
| 36 | Harold Everett Hughes | 1963 - 1969 | Democratic | ||
| 37 | Robert David Fulton | 1969 - 1969 | Democratic | ||
| 38 | Robert D. Ray | 1969 - 1983 | Republican | ||
| 39 | Terry E. Branstad | 1983 - 1999 | Republican | ||
| 40 | Thomas J. Vilsack | 1999 - 2007 | Democratic | ||
| 41 | Chet Culver | 2007 - 2011 | Democratic | ||
| 42 | Terry E. Branstad | 2011 - 2017 | Republican | ||
| 43 | Kim Reynolds | 2017 - present | Republican | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for Iowa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 3,121,997 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 55,857 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 91.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 3.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 5.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 91.5% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 26.7% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,183 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 13.8% | 11.3% |
| Source:U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Clickhere for more information on the 2020 census andhere for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Iowa. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the censushere. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also:Presidential voting trends in Iowa
Iowavoted for the Republican candidate in four out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted forDonald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting forBarack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won thesePivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 31 are located in Iowa, accounting for 15.04 percent of the total pivot counties.[18]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won asRetained Pivot Counties and those won byJoe Biden (D) asBoomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Iowa had 31 Retained Pivot Counties, 17.13 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Iowa coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Iowa
- United States congressional delegations from Iowa
- Public policy in Iowa
- Endorsers in Iowa
- Iowa fact checks
- More...
Contact information
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
1007 East Grand Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50319
Phone: (515) 281-5211
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Office of the Governor of Iowa
- State of Iowa, "The Three Branches of Government: How they Work in Iowa"
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.21.31.4Iowa Legislature, "Constitution of the State of Iowa," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑2.02.1Iowa Official Register, "AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF IOWA- Amendments of 1988," January 17, 2021
- ↑3.03.13.2National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑Iowa Budget Report, "FY2025," accessed January 17, 2025
- ↑The Iowa Legislature, "Chapter 1219," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑National Governors Association, "Former Iowa Governors," accessed January 17, 2021,Office of the Governor of Iowa, "Kim Reynolds," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip ofAtlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
