UPDATE: I’ve added unofficial results for each race.

Iowa Democrats have more competitive state legislative primaries in 2022 than in a typical election cycle. That’s partly because quite a few House and Senate members are retiring, and partly because the redistricting plan adopted in 2021 created some legislative districts with no incumbents.

In most of the races discussed below, the winner of the primary is very likely to prevail in November. However, a few of the districts could be targeted by one or both parties in the general election.

All data on past election performance in these districts comes from the Iowa House and Senate maps Josh Hughes created in Dave’s Redistricting App. Fundraising numbers are taken from the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board’s database.

This post is not an exhaustive account of all contested Democratic primaries for state legislative offices. You can find the full primary candidate list here.

Adam Zabner is a Democratic candidate in Iowa House district 90 and was the Iowa Democratic Party’s regional organizing director for northwest Iowa in 2020.

My parents had never lived somewhere this cold. They came to Iowa City thirty years ago from Venezuela, and small-town life was a big change from the bustling metropolis of Caracas. They planned to stay for three years for my dad’s medical training at the University of Iowa and not one day more.

Instead, they found a strong, welcoming community, incredible opportunities, and world-class public schools. They decided to stay and build a life here and for thirty years they have worked to make this community stronger.

Today, many of my friends are not making that same decision.

Editor’s note: Bleeding Heartland is unlikely to endorse in any Iowa Democratic primaries this year but welcomes guest commentaries by candidates or their supporters. Please read these guidelines and contact Laura Belin if you are interested in writing.

Now that the 2022 election year is here, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Andrew Dunn and I am an activist, community organizer, and nonprofit leader running to represent Iowa House district 90, serving the northeast and graduate college area of Iowa City.