FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2026
CONTACT: Sheena Dooley, sheena@iowacci.org, 515.380.4634
Fed up Iowans decidedly vote for change as Democrats take control of Governor’s office and end Republican Stranglehold on Iowa House
Concerns over water quality, data centers and adequately funded public schools prompt strong turnout in midterm election
Des Moines, IA – Fed-up with billionaires and their trillion-dollar companies, voters in Iowa and across the county reclaimed their power at the polls Tuesday.
Decades of sweeping Iowa’s water crisis and underfunding of public schools under the rug finally came to a head this election, helping to usher in new leadership in the governor’s office, break a Republican stranglehold in the Iowa House and send more Democrats to Congress.
“If the newly elected leadership in Iowa wants to hold onto their seats, it’s imperative they take meaningful action on the issues and circumstances that got them elected to that seat,” said Cherie Mortice, Des Moines resident and president of the Iowa CCI Action Fund board. “That means holding corporate ag accountable for our polluted waterways and transitioning to a food and farm system that works for farmers and our environment. It means reining in the private school voucher program by instating an income cap and fully funding our public schools with an at least 5% increase in state aid.”
While falling short of a win, Chris Jones – a first-time candidate running for Secretary of Agriculture – won 47% of the vote while running on a platform challenging corporate agriculture, prioritizing water quality, and transitioning towards a more sustainable system. The race sets the table for the legislative session and future races where Iowans will be hungry to see meaningful action.
Iowans turned out to the polls in droves this election, overwhelmingly voting for change as the state faces rising cancer rates and the routing of more than $1 billion in the past four years to private schools through a voucher program.
Voters approved Amendment 1, which requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass state income and corporate tax increases. The measure creates minority rule at the statehouse by giving a handful of legislators power over funding decisions.
“Amendment 1 was pushed by GOP leadership as a gift to political donors like Bruce Rastetter and billionaire CEOs, who can rest easy knowing the elected officials on their payroll will protect their interest,” said Barb Kalbach, Adair County resident and member of Iowa CCI Action Fund. “Meanwhile our schools, libraries, emergency response and other public services will be the first thing on the chopping block when the purse strings tighten. It’s more important now than ever that we stay vigilant, follow the money, and stay steadfast in the long-haul fight to turn this issue around.”
Iowa CCI Action Fund launched its largest election effort ever this year, with more than 100 members knocking on tens of thousands of doors in the months leading up to the election and distributing a voter guide to nearly 16,000 Iowans in key areas across the state, many of whom tend not to vote.
“Our door canvassing connected with Iowans on issues, not candidates or political party. We encountered overwhelming support to protect our water, fund our public schools, and stop data centers,” Mortice said. “Democracy only works when everyday people are involved. It’s our job to make sure the candidates who won tonight don’t forget about the issues Iowans care about and the promises they made on the campaign trail that got them elected.”
Nationally, the data center issue took center stage as candidates who ran on standing up to Big Tech won across the board, including in Texas the state with the second largest amount of data centers. Americans are sending a strong message to all politicians–everyday people not only don’t want over-promised, over-invested and under-needed data centers in their backyards by voting against candidates that favored big tech.