Lisa Fleishman is a longtime resident of Warren County, former candidate for Iowa Senate district 11, and the author of “Boots on the Ground, a grassroots tale.” She lives with her husband of nearly 30 years in Carlisle. 

I’m growing increasingly concerned about the special election for Warren County auditor on August 29. On one side is a proven and dedicated public servant in Kimberly Sheets, who has considerable experience as the deputy auditor, acting professionally and in a nonpartisan manner. She knows her stuff because that comes with doing the work every day for years on end.

On the other side is the recently-appointed acting auditor David Whipple. He has zero experience in election administration, is on the record as an election denier and 9/11 conspiracy theorist, and has shared on social media ridiculous posts from people who literally believe the earth is flat. You can’t make this up, folks. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so serious.

Editor’s note: This analysis has been updated with unofficial results from all the races. Original post follows.

The major parties have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the most competitive 2022 Iowa House and Senate races.

This post highlights seven state Senate districts where one or both parties have spent large sums, and another seven where even without a big investment by Democrats or Republicans, the results could shed light on political trends.

All voter registration totals listed below come from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, as reported on November 1. All absentee ballot figures come from the Secretary of State’s office, as reported on November 7. All past election results come from the map Josh Hughes created in Dave’s Redistricting App.

All figures for in-kind spending by the Iowa Democratic Party or Republican Party of Iowa come from filings with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. I focus on in-kind spending, because candidates in battleground Iowa legislative races typically give most of their funds to the state party. The party then covers the bulk of the large expenditures for direct mail and/or television, radio, and digital advertising.