2010 Iowa gubernatorial election

The 2010 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the governor and lieutenant governor, to serve a four-year term beginning on January 14, 2011. In Iowa, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ballot.

The two major party candidates were first-term incumbent governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, who ran for re-election with first-term incumbent lieutenant governor Patty Judge, and former four-term governor Terry Branstad, who won a three-way primary for the Republican nomination and ran with State Senator Kim Reynolds.

Branstad defeated Culver in the general election, becoming the first challenger to unseat an incumbent Iowa governor since Harold Hughes in 1962.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Chet Culver, incumbent Governor

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

On ballot

As listed by the Iowa Secretary of State's office:

• Terry Branstad, former Governor
• Rod Roberts, State Representative
• Bob Vander Plaats, businessman and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2006

Withdrew

• State Senator Paul McKinley withdrew after Terry Branstad formed an exploratory committee
• Cedar Rapids businessman Christian Fong suspended his campaign due to a lack of campaign finances
• Minority Leader of the Iowa House of Representatives Christopher Rants withdrew from the race due to lack of campaign funds
• State Senator Jerry Behn withdrew from the race and endorsed Terry Branstad

Polling

Results

General election

Candidates

• Chet Culver (D), incumbent governor; running with incumbent lieutenant governor Patty Judge.
• Gregory James Hughes (I), running with Robin Prior-Calef.
• Terry Branstad (R), former four-term governor; running with State Senator Kim Reynolds.
• Eric Cooper (L), professor at Iowa State University; running with judicial administrator Nick Weltha.
• Jonathan Narcisse (Iowa Party), former member of the Des Moines school board; running with truck driver Rick Marlar. Narcisse is a Democrat and Marlar is a Republican. Narcisse's campaign and that of Senate District 45 candidate Douglas William Phillips were not affiliated, though both appeared on the ballot under the "Iowa Party" name.
• David Rosenfeld (SWP), running with Helen Meyers.

Predictions

Polling

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Adams (largest city: Corning)
• Audubon (largest city: Audubon)
• Benton (largest city: Vinton)
• Emmet (largest city: Estherville)
• Greene (largest city: Jefferson)
• Hamilton (largest city: Webster City)
• Hardin (largest city: Iowa Falls)
• Iowa (largest city: Williamsburg)
• Kossuth (largest city: Algona)
• Palo Alto (largest city: Emmetsburg)
• Warren (largest city: Indianola)
• Winnebago (largest city: Forest City)
• Allamakee (largest city: Waukon)
• Boone (largest city: Boone)
• Bremer (largest city: Waverly)
• Buchanan (largest city: Independence)
• Cedar (largest city: Tipton)
• Cerro Gordo (largest city: Mason City)
• Chickasaw (largest city: New Hampton)
• Clarke (largest city: Osceola)
• Clayton (largest city: Guttenberg)
• Clinton (largest city: Clinton)
• Fayette (largest city: Oelwein)
• Floyd (largest city: Charles City)
• Howard (largest city: Cresco)
• Jackson (largest city: Maquoketa)
• Jasper (largest city: Newton)
• Jones (largest city: Anamosa)
• Louisa (largest city: Wapello)
• Marshall (largest city: Marshalltown)
• Mitchell (largest city: Osage)
• Muscatine (largest city: Muscatine)
• Poweshiek (largest city: Grinnell)
• Scott (largest city: Davenport)
• Tama (largest city: Tama)
• Union (largest city: Creston)
• Wapello (largest city: Ottumwa)
• Webster (largest city: Fort Dodge)
• Winneshiek (largest city: Decorah)
• Worth (largest city: Northwood)
• Appanoose (Largest city: Centerville)
• Davis (Largest city: Bloomfield)
• Decatur (Largest city: Lamoni)
• Hancock (Largest city: Garner)
• Henry (Largest city: Mount Pleasant)
• Lucas (Largest city: Chariton)
• Monona (Largest city: Onawa)
• Monroe (Largest city: Albia)
• Ringgold (Largest city: Mount Ayr)
• Taylor (Largest city: Bedford)
• Wayne (Largest city: Corydon)
• Wright (Largest city: Eagle Grove)

References

External links

• Iowa Secretary of State – Voter/Elections
• Iowa Governor Candidates at Project Vote Smart
• Campaign contributions for 2010 Iowa Governor from Follow the Money
• 2010 Iowa Gubernatorial General Election: All Head-to-Head Matchups graph of multiple polls from Pollster.com
• Election 2010: Iowa Governor from Rasmussen Reports
• 2010 Iowa Governor – Branstad vs. Culver from Real Clear Politics
• 2010 Iowa Governor's Race from CQ Politics
• Race Profile in The New York Times

Debates

• Iowa Gubernatorial Debate, C-SPAN, September 14, 2010

Official campaign websites (Archived)

• Chet Culver for Governor
• Greg Hughes – Independent for Governor
• Eric Cooper for Governor
• Terry Branstad for Governor
• Jonathan Narcisse for Governor
• Bob Vander Plaats for Governor