# 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa

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The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the state's four U.S. representatives. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. Primary elections were held on June 5, 2012.
The new congressional map, drawn by the state's Legislative Services Agency and passed with bipartisan support in the state House of Representatives and Senate, was signed into law by Governor Terry Branstad on April 19, 2011. Reflecting population shifts recorded in the 2010 United States census, the new map decreases Iowa's representation from five congressional districts to four.

## Overview

United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats before | Seats after | +/– |
| | Democratic | 772,387 | 50.26% | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| | Republican | 726,505 | 47.27% | 2 | 2 | - |
| | Socialist Workers | 6,286 | 0.41% | | | - |
| | Independent | 30,291 | 1.97% | | | - |
| | Write-In | 1,380 | 0.09% | | | - |
| Totals | Totals | 1,536,849 | 100% | 5 | 4 | -1 |

## District 1

Bruce Braley, a Democrat the incumbent representative from the 1st district in northeastern Iowa since 2007, ran in the new 1st district. Fellow incumbent Dave Loebsack, who lived within the boundaries of the new 1st district in Linn County, but who had represented southeastern Iowa's 2nd district since 2007, moved to Johnson County and ran in the new 2nd district. The 1st district has become more favorable to Democrats with the inclusion of Linn County and its loss of Scott County. Braley won the Democratic nomination unopposed.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Bruce Braley, incumbent U.S. Representative

##### Declined

* Dave Loebsack, incumbent U.S. Representative for the 2nd district

#### Primary results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bruce Braley (incumbent) | 11,912 | 99.2 |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 92 | 0.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,004 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Ben Lange, attorney and nominee for this seat in 2010

##### Eliminated in primary

* Rod Blum, businessman

##### Withdrawn

* Steve Rathje, businessman

#### Primary results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ben Lange | 13,217 | 52.9 |
| | Republican | Rod Blum | 11,551 | 46.2 |
| | Republican | Write-ins | 143 | 0.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 24,991 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Endorsements

Organizations
* National Republican Congressional Committee "Young Guns" Program

#### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Likely D | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg | Safe D | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely D | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP | Likely D | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill | Likely D | November 4, 2012 |

#### Results

Iowa's 1st congressional district, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bruce Braley (incumbent) | 222,422 | 56.9 |
| | Republican | Ben Lange | 162,465 | 41.6 |
| | Independent | Gregory Hughes | 4,772 | 1.2 |
| | Independent | George Todd Krail II | 931 | 0.2 |
| | n/a | Write-ins | 259 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 390,849 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

## District 2

None of Iowa's current members of Congress resided in the newly drawn 2nd district; however, Democrat Dave Loebsack moved from Linn County to Johnson County in order to avoid a primary against Bruce Braley and continue representing southeastern Iowa. The 2nd district became slightly more favorable to Republicans as a result of the inclusion of Scott County, but retains Democratic-leaning Johnson County.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Dave Loebsack, incumbent U.S. Representative

##### Eliminated in primary

* Joe Seng, state senator

#### Primary results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Dave Loebsack (incumbent) | 17,467 | 81.5 |
| | Democratic | Joe M. Seng | 3,913 | 18.3 |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 39 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,419 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* John Archer, senior legal counsel at John Deere

##### Eliminated in primary

* Dan Dolan, housing developer
Withdrew
* Richard Gates, machinist and Tea Party activist

#### Primary results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Archer | 16,604 | 60.5 |
| | Republican | Dan Dolan | 10,775 | 39.3 |
| | Republican | Write-ins | 57 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 27,436 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Endorsements

Organizations
* Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Frontline" Program
Organizations
* National Republican Congressional Committee "Young Guns" Program

#### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dave Loebsack (D) | John Archer (R) | Undecided |
| Tarrance (R-Archer) | June 25–27, 2012 | 300 (LV) | ± 5.7% | 48% | 43% | 10% |

#### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Likely D | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg | Likely D | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call | Likely D | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely D | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times | Safe D | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP | Likely D | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill | Lean D | November 4, 2012 |

#### Results

Iowa's 2nd congressional district, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Dave Loebsack (incumbent) | 211,863 | 55.6 |
| | Republican | John Archer | 161,977 | 42.5 |
| | Independent | Alan Aversa | 7,112 | 1.8 |
| | n/a | Write-ins | 323 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 381,275 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

## District 3

Leonard Boswell, a Democrat who represented the 3rd district in central Iowa since 1997, and Tom Latham, a Republican who represented the 4th district in northern and central Iowa since 1995, both ran in the new 3rd district. Latham, who lived in the new 4th district, moved south to avoid facing fellow Republican Steve King in a primary.

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Leonard Boswell, incumbent U.S. Representative

#### Primary results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Leonard Boswell (incumbent) | 8,382 | 98.3 |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 145 | 1.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,527 | 100.0 |

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Tom Latham, incumbent U.S. Representative

#### Primary results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Latham (incumbent) | 27,757 | 99.2 |
| | Republican | Write-ins | 218 | 0.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 27,975 | 100.0 |

### General election
#### Campaign

Approximately half of the new 3rd district was at the time represented by Boswell, whereas the new 3rd district contained than 20 per cent of the area currently represented by Latham. However, Latham had $983,500 cash on hand at the end of March 2011, whereas Boswell had just $173,815.

#### Endorsements

Organizations
* Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Frontline" Program
Organizations
* National Republican Congressional Committee "Patriot" Program

#### Debate

The first debate was held October 10, 2012 at 7 pm, sponsored by KCCI and the Des Moines Register.
2012 Iowa's 3rd congressional district debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Democratic | Republican |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | | |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Leonard Boswell | Tom Latham |
| 1 | Oct. 10, 2012 | The Des Moines Register KCCI | Kevin Cooney Kathy Obradovich | C-SPAN | P | P |

#### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Leonard Boswell (D) | Tom Latham (R) | Scott Batcher (I) | Undecided |
| Benenson (D-DCCC) | September 18–20, 2012 | 400 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 45% | 45% | 7% | 3% |

#### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Lean R | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg | Tilts R | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call | Tossup | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean R | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times | Tossup | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP | Tossup | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill | Tossup | November 4, 2012 |

#### Results

Iowa's 3rd congressional district, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Latham (incumbent) | 202,000 | 52.2 |
| | Democratic | Leonard Boswell (incumbent) | 168,632 | 43.6 |
| | Independent | Scott G. Batcher | 9,352 | 2.4 |
| | Socialist Workers | David Rosenfeld | 6,286 | 1.6 |
| | n/a | Write-ins | 572 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 386,842 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

## District 4

Steve King, a Republican represented western Iowa's 5th district since 2003, ran in the new 4th district. The new 4th district comprises mostly territory which King represented and which tends to vote for Republican candidates.

### Republican primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Steve King, incumbent U.S. Representative

##### Declined

* Tom Latham, incumbent U.S. Representative for the 4th district

#### Primary results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Steve King (incumbent) | 38,238 | 98.9 |
| | Republican | Write-ins | 420 | 1.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 38,658 | 100.0 |

### Democratic primary
#### Candidates
##### Nominee

* Christie Vilsack, former First Lady of Iowa

#### Primary results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Christie Vilsack | 10,765 | 99.2 |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 88 | 0.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,853 | 100.0 |

### Independents

Martin James Monroe also ran.

### General election
#### Endorsements

Organizations
* Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Red to Blue" Program
* EMILY's List

#### Debates

* Complete video of debate, September 27, 2012
* Complete video of debate, October 25, 2012

#### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Steve King (R) | Christie Vilsack (D) | Martin Monroe (I) | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling (D-CREDO) | September 24–25, 2012 | 577 (LV) | ± % | 48% | 45% | — | 7% |
| Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D-Vilsack) | September 22–25, 2012 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 46% | 44% | 4% | 6% |
| American Viewpoint (R-American Future Fund) | September 23–24, 2012 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 48% | 41% | — | 11% |
| Public Policy Polling (D-House Majority PAC) | January 18–23, 2012 | 974 (RV) | ± 3.1% | 49% | 43% | — | 8% |

#### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Lean R | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg | Tilts R | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call | Lean R | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean R | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times | Lean R | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP | Tossup | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill | Lean R | November 4, 2012 |

#### Results

Iowa's 4th congressional district, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Steve King (incumbent) | 200,063 | 52.9 |
| | Democratic | Christie Vilsack | 169,470 | 44.9 |
| | Independent | Martin James Monroe | 8,124 | 2.1 |
| | n/a | Write-ins | 226 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 377,883 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |