Poweshiek county voters lend their support to Trump, Ernst in crucial federal elections By Seth Taylor [email protected] Poweshiek County voters threw their support behind President Donald Trump in Tuesday’s election, with 56% of voters supporting him over former Vice President Joe Biden, according to unofficial results. Trump currently leads in Iowa with 99% of precincts reporting. Recent polls have shown Trump with an edge in the state, but Biden had been seen as a competitor. Iowa is not a must-win state for either of the two men, but Iowa’s six electoral college votes would still help them obtain the requisite 270 votes they need to win. With that in mind, and with their eyes on Iowa’s competitive U.S. Senate race, both Trump and Biden visited Iowa last week to energize supporters before election day. On Friday, Biden made his first appearance in Iowa since the caucuses, campaigning in Des Moines. He highlighted Iowa’s surging COVID-19 numbers as evidence of Trump’s mismanagement of the pandemic. And, as he has done throughout the campaign, he cast the election as a “battle for the soul of our nation.” That characterization rang true for some Grinnell voters. 27- year old Jacob Ferguson, a Grinnell College employee, said he voted for Joe Biden. “It’s just about character, … who we are as a state and as a country,” he said. Trump, on the other hand, argued Biden would turn America into a “socialist nation” at a rally in Dubuque on Sunday, while also claiming without evidence that a coronavirus vaccine would be available within weeks. On Monday, Poweshiek County Republicans held a “Trump Parade” to demonstrate their support for the president. Poweshiek County Republicans Co-Chair Tom Cooper said there was “no question” that Trump would win the election. “Trump has got this thing in the bag,” he said. Trump won Iowa handily in 2016 – the first Republican to do so since 2004. And Poweshiek County voters supported Trump over Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton then as well, 50% to 43%. In Grinnell, however, Trump won only 32% of the vote to Clinton’s 61%. Nationally, the race remains too close to call, and it may be days before Americans know the results. Trump claimed a major victory in Florida early in the night, but he still hasn’t reached the 270-vote threshold, and Biden remains in the hunt. While the presidential election was top of mind for many Poweshiek County voters, Iowa’s U.S. Senate race was considered crucial in determining who will control the Senate come January. Democrats need to pick up four seats to obtain the majority, and Democrat Theresa Greenfield, a real estate executive who has not held elected office before, has given incumbent Republican Joni Ernst a tough fight. At the end of the night, however, Ernst looks like she’s pulled ahead, and multiple outlets have called the election in her favor, with a 6.6 point lead over Greenfield, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State. In Poweshiek County, Ernst garnered 53% of the vote to Greenfield’s 44%. Those numbers are similar to Ernst’s margin of victory during her first election in 2014, when she narrowly beat out Democrat Bruce Braley to win Poweshiek County 49% to 46%. Also on the ballot was the race for Iowa’s First District U.S. House seat between Democrat Abby Finkenauer and Republican Ashley Hinson. Finkenauer, fighting to return to Washington after her first term, was defeated on Tuesday night in a surprise victory by Hinson, 51.3% to 48.7%, according to unofficial results. In 2018, Finkenauer lost Poweshiek County by less than 100 votes. This time, she lost by almost 1,000. Nadia Langley contributed reporting. Maxwell will keep his Senate seat, defeating challengers Smith and Hammouda By Nina Baker [email protected] Republican incumbent Dave Maxwell beat out Democrat Sarah Smith and Independent Kamal Hammouda for the Iowa House of Representatives Seat 76. With all precincts reporting, Maxwell captured 58% of the vote, with Smith trailing with 39% and Hammouda far behind with just 3%. Maxwell’s win is a continuation of Republican control over the district. Representing District 76 since 2012, Maxwell has consistently beat out Democratic challengers; in 2018, Maxwell beat opponent Ann Egley by 16.9 points. Poweshiek County, home of Grinnell and the majority of District 76 voters, was a tighter race than the District overall. Maxwell led with 53.6 percent, with Smith closer behind with 42 percent and Hammouda with 4.4 percent. Maxwell, 77, works as a farmer and owns Maxwell Tiling. During the election, he urged voters to vote for a candidate with legislative experience – him – while Iowa dealt with the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing the difficulty of mounting a successful Independent challenge against Maxwell and Smith, Hammouda, 68, posted on his Facebook Page “Kamal for Iowa 2020” that if he doesn’t win, he thanks his supporters and hopes to “continue the march for a better community.” Smith, 44, originally said her one-on-one connection with voters could lead to her success against Maxwell, despite the Republican history of District 76. Neither Smith, Hammouda, nor Maxwell responded to requests for comment from The S&B regarding the results. As of 11:00 p.m., Poweshiek County vote totals were unofficial, pending the election canvass by county auditor Missy Eilander. Dawn Driscoll takes home the win in 38th District Senate race By Nick Parker [email protected] Dawn Driscoll (R), 43, has won the race to replace Tim Kapucian (R) in the Iowa Senate’s District 38 seat. With 64% of the district vote (21,194 votes total, 5,340 from Poweshiek County) to Democrat Ivy Schuster’s 36%, she was carried to victory by her coalition of mostly rural voters. Driscoll, who lives in Williamsburg in Iowa County is a lifelong farmer and agricultural lobbyist. She defeated Schuster, 33, who works in the Office of Information and Technology Services at Grinnell College. Driscoll raised $237,408 to her opponent’s $111,810, giving her the edge in a district that has historically leaned Republican. Prompted to run by outgoing senator Kapucian, Driscoll ran a low-key campaign that focused primarily on rural and agricultural issues. She has consistently referenced water quality as one of the primary issues facing SD-38, which comprises Benton, Iowa and Poweshiek counties. As a farmer herself, Driscoll supports environmental regulations that favor agriculture and protect rural farmers. Like Schuster, Driscoll moved much of her campaign to the internet and phone banking after the pandemic hit. While she supports voluntary measures to fight COVID-19, Driscoll does not support state or local requirements for citizens to wear masks. She is largely supportive of the state government’s response to the pandemic and has repeatedly stressed the need to prioritize economic recovery. As a mother of three, Driscoll has stressed her support for public education. She has also sought to draw attention to her support for local law enforcement. Schuster, a Poweshiek County native, cruised to victory in the Democratic primary. Hoping to put SD-38 into Democratic hands for the first time since 2012, she raised significantly more money than any Democratic candidate in previous years. She ran a progressive campaign, making social issues such as gender equality and civil rights a large part of her platform. Although only winning the Republican primary by 45 percent of the vote, Driscoll made a strong showing at the polls on the day of the general election. While this victory represents Driscoll’s first foray into electoral politics, she is no stranger to Des Moines or the Iowa state legislature, having spent a number of years as an agricultural lobbyist, and is currently the acting president of the Iowa County Farm Bureau. Live Results Last updated Nov. 3 at 11:26 pm CST Iowa State House District 76 Results are being reported for the 76th House district, which includes all of Poweshiek County and parts of Iowa County. Republican incumbent Dave Maxwell is running against Democrat Sarah Smith and Independent Kamal Hammouda. Iowa State Senate District 38 Results are being reported for the 38th Senate district, which includes Poweshiek, Iowa and Benton Counties.The race is between Democrat Ivy Schuster and Republican Dawn Driscoll. United States Congress First District Results seen here are only for Poweshiek County. Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer is being challenged by Republican Ashley Hinson in the district, which includes much of northeastern Iowa. United States Senate Results seen here are only for Poweshiek County. Republican incumbent Joni Ernst is being challenged by Democrat Theresa Greenfield, Libertarian Rick Stewart, and Independent Suzanne Herzog. President Results seen here are only for Poweshiek County. The candidates are Republican incumbent Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Libertarian Jo Jorgensen, and six other challengers. 38th District Senate seat: Two newcomers face off over the vacancy By Nick Parker [email protected] In the race for Republican Tim Kapucian’s soon-to-be vacated seat in Iowa Senate District 38, Democrat Ivy Schuster and Republican Dawn Driscoll are vying to see who will become Poweshiek County’s new state senator. Schuster, 33, who attended Montezuma High School and now works in Grinnell College’s Office of Information and Technology Services, has focused her campaign around rural revitalization, as well as progressive social and environmental policies. She has made gender equality one of the central themes of her candidacy, often commenting on the lack of female representation in the Iowa state legislature.