From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
A blue wave has swept through Iowa with Rob Sand winning the race for Governor, Josh Turek will go to the U.S. Senate, and Lindsay James and Christina Bohannan will go to Congress. Voter turnout reached about 61 percent statewide as more than 1.2 million Iowa voters went to the polls.
Rob Sand’s win flips a seat held by retiring Gov. Kim Reynolds after defeating Republican Zach Lahn. Sand will become the first Democrat Governor since Chet Culver, and will need to deal with Republican controlled state legislature.
Josh Turek won the U.S. Senate seat that had been held by Republican Joni Ernst since 2015 when Tom Harkin retired. He defeated Republican Ashley Hinson, who left the House to run for the Senate.
Three of Iowa’s four Congressional Districts switched from Republican to Democrat. In the First District, Christina Bohannan’s third attempt to unseat Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks was successful. In the Second District, Lindsay James of Dubuque beat Republican Joe Mitchell in the district that includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Dubuque. In the Third District, Sarah Trone Garriott beat incumbent Republican Zach Nunn. Republican Chris McGowen won in the western Iowa Fourth District that is heavily Republican.
Johnson County voters rejected a $94 million dollar bond referendum to build a new jail and sheriff’s office. An $88 million dollar bond referendum for improvements to Kirkwood Community College passed. So did a $60 million bond referendum for improvements to Cedar Rapids fire departments and the equipment they use.
Tipton School District voters approved a $16 million bond referendum for school construction projects, but voters in the Independence School District rejected its $25 million dollar elementary school construction bond.
Cedar Rapids Police are replacing Flock cameras with Axon-brand automated license plate readers. The $14 million agreement will create an operations center with real-time video feeds and drones. As part of the agreement, Cedar Rapids Police will phase out more than 70 Flock cameras set up across the city.
