New fundraising reports show which candidates have a financial edge in a cluster of competitive primaries for the Iowa House and Senate in the Des Moines metro.
The reports also give an early look at the districts both parties are expecting to be competitive in this fall’s general election.
Republicans currently hold 64 seats in the Iowa House to Democrats’ 36. And the GOP has a supermajority of 34 seats in the Iowa Senate, where Democrats have 16 members.
In both chambers, Republican majorities are at their largest in decades, giving them an advantage heading into the 2024 election. Democrats will be hoping to make up ground, particularly in races in suburban districts in the metro, which have been decided by close margins in recent years.
More: 2024 Iowa election guide: What are the candidates saying ahead of the June primary?
House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said in a statement that House Republicans focused on enacting their legislative agenda during the session, rather than fundraising.
“Now that the 2024 session has wrapped up, we are switching gears into campaign mode,” he said. “The Des Moines metro, as always, is going to contain many hotly contested swing districts. We’ve got impressive incumbents in many of those seats that we feel put us in a strong position in the metro.”
Caleb Hunter, a spokesperson for Senate President Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, said the 2024 legislative session “set the stage for another successful election for Senate Republicans.”
“The caucus also maintains a significant fundraising advantage over Senate Democrats,” Hunter said. “Despite currently holding 34 seats in the chamber, multiple pickup opportunities exist across the state and Senate Republicans are well-positioned to maintain a supermajority in the Iowa Senate in 2024.”
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said Iowans believe “the governor and GOP lawmakers have just gone too far.” She said House Democrats will work tirelessly to show up in Iowa communities and earn their trust.
“Iowans are tired of politics,” she said. “They are ready for more balance in the Iowa Legislature and Iowa House Democrats’ strong fundraising numbers from people all over the state prove it.”
More: Early voting has started for Iowa’s June 4 primary election. Here’s what you should know:
Tyler Redenbaugh, executive director of the Senate Majority Fund, said the “overwhelming support” for Senate Democratic candidates reflects frustrations with Republican priorities.
“This grassroots support aligns perfectly with what we hear from Iowa voters: They want a better deal for Iowa focused on opportunity, freedom, and government accountability,” Redenbaugh said in a statement. “Iowans want leaders who prioritize healthcare without interference from politicians, a strong public education system, and economic opportunities over divisive rhetoric.”
The reports cover fundraising and expenditures from Jan. 1 through May 14. Candidates are required to file reports with the state once they raise or spend more than $1,000 in a calendar year.
Early voting has begun for the June 4 primary election.
Here’s a look at fundraising in some key Iowa House and Senate races on the ballot.
House District 22: Norwalk, Carlisle, Cumming and Martensdale
Former Rep. Garrett Gobble is facing Samantha Fett, a former Carlisle School Board member and chapter leader for Moms for Liberty, in the Republican primary in this district.
The seat is open this year with the retirement of Rep. Stan Gustafson, R-Cumming.
Fett and Gobble posted roughly even fundraising and spending numbers.
Democrat Rory D. Taylor is running to take on whoever emerges from the Republican primary.
Samantha Fett (R)
Garrett Gobble (R)
Rory D. Taylor (D)
More: Meet the candidates running for the open Iowa House District 22 seat in Norwalk, Cumming
House District 28: West Des Moines, Van Meter and Adel
Rep. David Young, R-Van Meter, is seeking a second term representing this Dallas County district after winning election in 2022.
Young, a former member of Congress, faces a Republican primary challenge from Chad Brewbaker, who did not file a fundraising report.
Young is well funded, raising more than $54,000 since Jan. 1. He has more than $125,000 in the bank.
Democrats are hoping to put up a serious challenge to Young this fall with attorney Laura Snider. She raised just shy of $10,000 and has $8,700 cash on hand.
Chad Brewbaker (R)
David Young (R, incumbent)
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Contributions: $54,313.68
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Expenditures: $0
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In-kind contributions: $2,160.53
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Cash on hand: $125,661.53
Laura Snider (D)
More: Where the candidates for West Des Moines’ House District 28 stand on the issues
House District 34: Des Moines
Four Democrats are competing for their party’s nomination in this Des Moines-based district, which is open after Democratic Rep. Ako Abdul Samad’s decision to retire this year.
Abdul-Samad has endorsed pastor Rob Johnson, who reported raising more than $16,000.
Johnson’s donors include former Democratic gubernatorial candidates Fred Hubbell and Jack Hatch; 3rd Congressional District candidate Lanon Baccam; state Sens. Liz Bennett, Sarah Trone Garriott and Zach Wahls; and Des Moines City Council members Mike Simonson and Josh Mandelbaum.
Retired labor leader John R. Campbell Jr. outraised Johnson, taking in nearly $20,000 in contributions. Those include donations from former Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson and former U.S. attorney, gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin.
Teacher Samy El-Baroudi took in more than $12,000 in contributions, including from former gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Ras Smith, state Rep. Sue Cahill and Des Moines Public School Board member Kalyn Cody.
Small business owner Dudley Muhammad raised more than $2,800, although he personally contributed more than $2,000 of that total. He has $154 in the bank.
Republican Danielle Duggan did not file a fundraising report.
John R. Campbell Jr. (D)
Samy El-Baroudi (D)
Rob Johnson (D)
Dudley Muhammad (D)
Danielle Duggan (R)
More: Four Democrats, one Republican running to replace retiring Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad
House District 35: Des Moines
Two Republicans and a Libertarian are running to challenge incumbent Rep. Sean Bagniewski, D-Des Moines, in this Beaverdale-based House seat.
Bagniewski raised nearly $5,000 during the most recent fundraising period and donated more than $10,000 back to the Iowa Democratic Party.
Neither Republican running for the seat has filed a fundraising report.
Sean Bagniewski (D, incumbent)
David G. Green (L)
Daniel Schmude (R)
Angela Kay Schreader (R)
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 35 in Des Moines’ north, west sides
House District 40: Altoona, Des Moines and eastern Polk County
Rep. Bill Gustoff, R-Des Moines, faces a challenge from Democrat Heather Sievers in this district, which includes Altoona, parts of northeast Des Moines and parts of unincorporated Polk County.
Neither candidate has a primary challenger, so both have been able to begin amassing cash for November. Gustoff has nearly $26,000 in the bank, while Sievers has $15,000.
Bill Gustoff (R, incumbent)
Heather Sievers (D)
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Contributions: $17,870.36
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Expenditures: $2,838.68
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Unpaid bills: $226.14
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In-kind contributions: $838
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Cash on hand: $15,031.68
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 40 in Altoona, Ankeny, Des Moines
House District 41: Northern Ankeny
Two Republicans are competing for the GOP nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Molly Buck, D-Ankeny, in this district, which includes northern Ankeny.
Former Ankeny School Board President Ryan Weldon has outraised retired banker Matthew Smith, taking in about $8,100 to Smith’s $4,400.
Molly Buck (D, incumbent)
Matthew Smith (R)
Ryan Weldon (R)
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 41 in Ankeny
House District 42: Southern Ankeny
Incumbent Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny, will face a competitive general election race from Republican Heather Stephenson in this southern Ankeny district.
The seat will be a top target for Republicans after Matson defeated Gobble by just 23 votes in 2022.
Neither candidate has a primary opponent, leaving both free to save funds for November.
Matson outraised Stephenson, raising nearly $11,300 to Stephenson’s $8,000. Matson also has more in the bank, at $31,900, compared to Stephenson’s $8,000.
Heather Matson (D, incumbent)
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Contributions: $11,279.31
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Expenditures: $7,726.39
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In-kind contributions: $50
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Cash on hand: $31,901.15
Heather Stephenson (R)
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 42 in Ankeny
House District 43: Johnston, Urbandale and Saylorville
Incumbent Rep. Eddie Andrews, R-Johnston, will face a general election challenge from Democrat Tiara Mays-Sims in this Johnston-based district.
Andrews faced a close reelection race in 2022, prevailing over his Democratic opponent 51% to 49%, a difference of about 350 votes.
Mays-Sims ran for the seat in 2022, losing the Democratic primary. She is unopposed for the nomination this year.
Mays-Sims outraised Andrews, $22,500 to $3,100. She also has more cash on hand, with $19,300 to Andrews’ $14,700.
Eddie Andrews (R, incumbent)
Tiara Mays-Sims (D)
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Contributions: $22,544.88
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Expenditures: $9,452.25
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Unpaid bills: $1,027.97
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In-kind contributions: $400
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Cash on hand: $19,325.25
More: Meet the candidates running for Iowa House District 43 in Johnston, Urbandale
House District 44: Urbandale and parts of Des Moines
There’s a competitive Democratic primary in this Urbandale-based district, as two candidates compete for the nomination to replace retiring Rep. John Forbes.
Urbandale School Board member Larry McBurney raised over four times more than Urbandale City Council member Jason Menke, taking in more than $17,100 compared to nearly $4,300 for Menke.
McBurney also spent nearly three times as much as Menke — $16,800 to $5,700. He ended the fundraising period with $5,600 in the bank, more than double Menke’s $2,300.
Libertarian Jake Heard did not file a fundraising report.
Larry McBurney (D)
Jason Menke (D)
Jake Heard (L)
More: Who’s running for Iowa House District 44 in Urbandale? Meet the three primary candidates
Senate District 14: Dallas County
Incumbent Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, brought in a massive fundraising haul anchored by a six-figure donation.
Trone Garriott, who flipped her seat from red to blue in 2022, has raised $393,646 so far in 2024.
A large portion of that ― more than $275,000 ― comes from Warren Stine, a relative of Harry Stine, Iowa’s only billionaire. On March 18, Warren Stine gave Trone Garriott $250,000, and has contributed an additional $1,000 each month. State Auditor Rob Sand also gave Trone Garriott $5,000.
She holds $485,091 heading into the summer.
Her Republican opponent, Dallas County Supervisor Mark Hanson, has raised $16,713 thus far. That includes a $2,263 infusion from his old campaign account, as well as a $500 contribution from former Gov. Terry Branstad.
Expect this district to once again see a steady flow of money in the coming months; in 2022, it saw more than $1.5 million in total contributions.
Sarah Trone Garriott (D, incumbent)
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Contributions: $393,646.03
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Expenditures: $21,670.22
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In-kind contributions: $246.50
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Cash on hand: $485,091.68
Mark Hanson (R)
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Contributions: $16,713.80
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Expenditures: $7,002.69
-
In-kind contributions: $0
-
Cash on hand: $9,711.11
More: Meet the two candidates in Iowa Senate District 14: Mark Hanson and Sarah Trone Garriott
Senate District 16: West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights
Incumbent Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, holds a comfortable fundraising lead as she faces a primary challenge from Julie Lasche Brown.
Celsi has raised $31,483 so far this year, and like Trone Garriott also received a contribution from Warren Stine, to the tune of $1,000. In addition, she’s received the financial support of her Des Moines-based colleagues in the Senate and House, including $100 from Sen. Janet Petersen; $200 from Sen. Tony Bisignano; and $50 from Rep. Megan Srinivas.
She has $25,827 on hand.
Her challenger, a former chair of the West Des Moines Democrats, has raised $7,817. Among her donors is the Hy-Vee Employees PAC, which contributed $1,000.
Lasche Brown holds $3,668.
Claire Celsi (D, incumbent)
Julie Lasche Brown (D)
More: Meet the Democrats running in Iowa Senate District 16: Claire Celsi and Julie Lasche Brown
Senate District 20: Eastern Des Moines, Altoona
Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, has started the year with steady fundraising as he prepares for a challenge from Republican Mike Pike.
Boulton has raised $78,017 since January 1, and has $214,725 on hand. He received $50,000 from trial attorney Nicholas Rowley.
Pike, who owns a mechanical contracting company, has done little fundraising, raising $1,450 with $1,350 in the bank as of mid-May.
Nate Boulton (D, incumbent)
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Contributions: $78,017.09
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Expenditures: $9,370.89
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In-kind contributions: $1,317.26
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Cash on hand: $214,725.43
Mike Pike (R)
Senate District 22: Urbandale, Johnston
The president pro tempore of the Iowa Senate, Brad Zaun of Urbandale, is facing a well-funded Democratic challenger in Matt Blake.
Zaun, a Republican who chairs the judiciary committee, has raised $9,205 so far in 2024 and has $59,746 on hand.
Blake, who serves on Urbandale City Council, raised $61,690. He received a $10,000 contribution from Bipartisan Network PAC, as well as union support: $1,000 from Plumbers & Steamfitters Local #33 and $1,500 from IBEW’s PAC. He has $81,371 on hand.
Brad Zaun (R, incumbent)
Matt Blake (D)
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Contributions: $61,690.27
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Expenditures: $20,147.64
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In-kind contributions: $250
-
Cash on hand: $81,371.62
Galen Bacharier covers the Statehouse & politics for the Register. Reach him at [email protected] or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Which Des Moines-area legislative races have the highest fundraising?
