The latest data indicates two incumbent congressmen in Iowa will be battling for reelection in a district that has a slight Republican voter registration edge.
After the 2010 Census Iowa lost one of its five congressional districts and Republican Congressman Tom Latham of Clive and Democratic Congressman Leonard Boswell of Des Moines are running against one another in the new third district. That district now leans Republican.
The district covers 16 counties in southwest Iowa and includes the city of Des Moines. The latest statistics indicate nearly 35 percent of voters in the district are registered Republicans, while about 33-and-a-half percent are registered Democrats. The rest are independents.
The other two Democratic congressmen from Iowa — Bruce Braley of Waterloo and Dave Loebsack of Iowa City — are running in districts which have a Democratic voter registration edge.
Republican Congressman Steve King has been representing a district that has a significant GOP edge. The new fourth congressional district has about 47,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats. Former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack is challenging King’s bid for a sixth term.
Here is the latest voter registration data from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office:
First Congressional District:
Democrats 165,686
Republicans 139,705
No party (independents) 188,500
Second Congressional District:
Democrats 175,890
Republicans 144,288
No Party (independents) 185,711
Third Congressional District:
Republicans 165,595
Democrats 159,595
No Party (independents) 150,705
Fourth Congressional District:
Republicans 179,681
Democrats 132,576
No Party (independents) 179,133
