Dave Dawson edged out two other Democrats in the race for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, sending the former state lawmaker into a long-shot race against a Donald Trump-endorsed Republican in Iowa’s reddest congressional district.
Dawson, a prosecutor in the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and former state representative, defeated Stephanie Steiner and Ashley WolfTornabane in the Tuesday, June 2, Democratic primary, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office.
The Associated Press projected Dawson’s win at 10:44 p.m.
Dawson led with 39% of the vote, followed by Steiner with 30% and WolfTornabane with 30%, with 97% of precincts reporting.
Had no candidate earned at least 35% of the vote on primary night, the nomination would have instead been decided by grassroots delegates at a state convention.
Dawson did not declare victory Tuesday night.
The win sets up a November race against Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan, who became the lone Republican on the ballot after several GOP challengers exited the race or failed to qualify.
The seat opened up after Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra launched a campaign for governor rather than seek reelection to Congress.
Republicans rallied behind McGowan, an Iowa Air National Guard veteran who later worked in economic development and has been endorsed by Trump. Democrats, meanwhile, fought through a three-way primary to compete in a district where the GOP holds a massive structural advantage.
“This campaign has always been about standing up for the hardworking families, farmers, small business owners, and taxpayers who make our communities strong,” McGowan said in a statement Tuesday night. “I am grateful to every volunteer, supporter, donor, and voter who helped make this victory possible.”
Dawson has pitched himself as “not a hard partisan” and argued he can appeal to independents and voters across the political spectrum.
At a December meeting of the Marshall County Democratic Party, Dawson said, “I believe that there is an opportunity to pick up the seat because people are not happy with the direction of the country.”
Steiner and WolfTornabane did not immediately concede Tuesday night.
The 4th District is the largest in Iowa geographically, stretching across 36 counties in north-central and northwest Iowa and including Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Ames and Marshalltown.
Republicans hold a more than 2-to-1 voter registration advantage in the district as of May 2026, with about 206,589 active registered Republicans compared with roughly 89,636 Democrats, according to Iowa Secretary of State data. Roughly 128,025 voters are registered with no party affiliation.
Cook Political Report rates the November race as “Solid R.” The district carries a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+15, meaning the district has voted an average of 15 percentage points more Republican than the nation as a whole in recent presidential elections.
Even with Feenstra leaving the seat open, Democrats face long odds in the 4th District. Still, some Democrats argue even narrowing GOP margins in northwest Iowa could boost turnout for statewide candidates further down the ballot.
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Dawson wins Iowa’s District 4 primary, faces Trump-backed Republican
Reporting by Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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