A total of 249 Iowans will run for state or federal office in 2016. 

By Quentin Misiag
[email protected]

Fewer Iowans chose to pursue elected office at the state and federal level in the 2016 election year, continuing a steady four-year slide in those numbers.

In all, 249 state politicians filed the necessary paperwork with the state Secretary of State’s Office by the March 18 deadline. That’s a four-person decrease from the competitive and sometimes nasty 2014 midterm elections and a 34-person drop since the 2010 midterms, when 283 Iowans ran.

Several popular and polarizing figures returned this year to seek or maintain their seats in Washington, representing Iowa’s four congressional districts.

Officials elected to U.S. Senate serve six-year terms; U.S. House members serve two-year terms.

U.S. SENATE

Former Iowa state Democratic Rep. Bob Krause, Cedar Rapids state Sen. Rob Hogg, former state Sen. Tom Fiegen of Clarence, and former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge are each vying to be the Democratic choice for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat.

Former state legislator and Iraq War veteran Ray Zirkelbach had also expressed interest in running for Senate, but did not submit the adequate signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office in time.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of New Hartford, the incumbent and a Republican, will seek his seventh term.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1st Congressional District

Former lieutenant-governor candidate and Cedar Rapids business leader Monica Vernon and former Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy of Dubuque are running to win the primary to be the Democratic nominee for the 1st Congressional District.

Rep. Rod Blum, an incumbent who is from Dubuque, will seek his second term. He is a Republican.

2nd Congressional District

Rep. Dave Loebsack of Iowa City, is an incumbent seeking his fifth term. He is a Democrat.

Christopher Peters of Coralville is waiting approval pending receipt of original affidavit to the Secretary of State’s Office. While he did not file for the primary ballot by March 18, he could still be nominated at the party’s district convention.

3rd Congressional District

Suburban Des Moines entrepreneurs Desmund Adams and Mike Sherzan and Iraq War veteran and former Iowa Democratic Party cochairman Jim Mowrer are each running in the 3rd district.

Rep. David Young of Van Meter is the incumbent and running for his second term. He is also facing another Republican, Des Moines teacher Joe Grandanette, in the primary.

4th Congressional District

Health-care advocate and party operative Kim Weaver of Sheldon is running as a Democrat for the 4th district.

Rep. Steve King of Kiron is an incumbent running for his seat once again. He is going up against Sioux City real-estate developer Rick Bertrand during the primary. Both are running as Republicans.