Governor of Iowa
| Iowa Governor | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $130,000 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $3,208,699 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Iowa Constitution, Article IV, Section I the Executive Department |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Governor of Iowa
Kim Reynolds | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Iowa Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Secretary of Agriculture • Director of Education • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Director • Labor Commissioner • Utilities Board | |
The Governor of the State of Iowa is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Iowa.[1] The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and has no term limit. Prior to a constitutional amendment passed in 1972, the governor's term had been two years.[2]
Iowa has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Iowa has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The 43rd and current Governor of Iowa is Republican Kim Reynolds.[3] She took office on May 24, 2017 following the resignation of Terry E. Branstad to serve as the United States Ambassador to China.[4]
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article IV, The Executive Department.
Under Article IV, Section I:
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The supreme executive power of this state shall be vested in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled the governor of the state of Iowa.[1] |
Qualifications
| State Executives |
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| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
According to Article IV, Section 6, a candidate for governor is required to be:
- at least 30 years old by the time of election
- a United States citizen
- a resident of Iowa for at least two years before the election
Additionally, under Article IV, Section 15, no governor may hold any other federal or state office while serving.[1]
Elections
Iowa elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Iowa, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030, and 2034 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Tuesday after the second Monday in the January following an election. If two candidates are tied, the General Assembly casts ballots to choose the winner.[2]
2022
General election
General election for Governor of Iowa
Incumbent Kim Reynolds defeated Deidre DeJear and Rick Stewart in the general election for Governor of Iowa on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kim Reynolds (R) | 58.0 | 709,198 | |
| Deidre DeJear (D) | 39.5 | 482,950 | ||
| Rick Stewart (L) | 2.4 | 28,998 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 718 | ||
| Total votes: 1,221,864 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa
Deidre DeJear advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Deidre DeJear | 99.5 | 145,555 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 801 | ||
| Total votes: 146,356 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ras Smith (D)
- Joshua Kuhn-McRoberts (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Iowa
Incumbent Kim Reynolds advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Iowa on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kim Reynolds | 99.0 | 185,293 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.0 | 1,808 | ||
| Total votes: 187,101 | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Governor of Iowa
Incumbent Kim Reynolds defeated Fred Hubbell, Jake Porter, and Gary Siegwarth in the general election for Governor of Iowa on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kim Reynolds (R) | 50.3 | 667,275 | |
| Fred Hubbell (D) | 47.5 | 630,986 | ||
| Jake Porter (L) | 1.6 | 21,426 | ||
| Gary Siegwarth (Clear Water Party of Iowa Party) | 0.6 | 7,463 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 488 | ||
| Total votes: 1,327,638 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Fred Hubbell | 55.5 | 99,245 | |
| Cathy Glasson | 20.6 | 36,815 | ||
| John Norris | 11.5 | 20,498 | ||
 | Andy McGuire | 5.3 | 9,404 | |
| Nate Boulton | 5.1 | 9,082 | ||
| Ross Wilburn | 2.2 | 3,880 | ||
| Total votes: 178,924 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Iowa
Incumbent Kim Reynolds advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Iowa on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kim Reynolds | 100.0 | 94,118 | |
| Total votes: 94,118 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ron Corbett (R)
- Steven Ray (R)
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Governor of Iowa
Jake Porter defeated Marco Battaglia in the Libertarian primary for Governor of Iowa on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jake Porter | 58.4 | 991 | |
| Marco Battaglia | 41.6 | 705 | ||
| Total votes: 1,696 | ||||
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2014
- See also: Iowa Gubernatorial election, 2014
| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Terry Branstad/Kim Reynolds Incumbent |
59% | 666,023 | |
| Democratic | Jack Hatch/Monica Vernon | 37.3% | 420,778 | |
| Libertarian | Lee Hieb/Tim Watson | 1.8% | 20,319 | |
| New Independent Party | Jim Hennager/Mary Krieg | 0.9% | 10,582 | |
| Iowa Party | Jonathan Narcisse/Michael Richards | 0.9% | 10,239 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 1,093 | |
| Total Votes | 1,129,034 | |||
| Election results via Iowa Secretary of State | ||||
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
Iowa governors do not face any term limits.
Partisan composition
The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Iowa governors from 1992 to 2013.
Vacancies
- See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article IV, Section IV.
Power devolves to the lieutenant governor at any time when the governor is unable or unwilling to discharge the office, under Article IV, Section 4.
Section 17, also referenced statutorily in §7.14 of the Code, grants the powers and duties of the governor to the lieutenant governor for the remaining portion of the term.
Section 19 governs vacancy procedure when both the governor and lieutenant governor are unable to serve. Power first devolves to the President Pro Tem of the Senate and then to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. After that, the Iowa Supreme Court must call an extraordinary session of the General Assembly to choose an acting governor.
Duties
As chief administrator of Iowa's government, the governor is responsible for the effective and efficient workings of the various state departments and agencies. The governor appoints department and agency heads and other state officials not elected by the people. The governor's appointments are generally subject to approval by the Senate.
The governor takes final action on all bills passed by the Iowa General Assembly. The governor may approve bills by signing them or disapprove bills by vetoing them. Each year, the governor reports on the financial condition of the state and makes recommendations on the state's budget. The governor has the power to call a special session of the General Assembly.[1]
Under (Article IV of the Iowa Constitution, other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Requiring written information from other officers of the executive branch on any aspect of their duties (§ 8).
- Making appointments to fill all vacancies when the law does not otherwise prescribe the method for doing so (§ 10).
- Convening, by proclamation, extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly (§ 11).
- Periodically giving the 'State of the State' address (§ 12).
- Adjourning the General Assembly when they cannot agree to do so themselves (§ 13)
- Granting pardons, reprieves, and commutations, excluding convictions for treason and impeachment (§ 16)
- Officially using the Seal of the Great State of Iowa (§ 20).
- Signing all official commissions and grant given by the state, which are officially made in the name of the people of Iowa (§ 21).
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Iowa has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
State budget
Role in state budget
- See also: Iowa state budget and finances
The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[5]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies between June and July.
- Agency requests are submitted to the governor by October 1.
- Public hearings are held in December.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Iowa State Legislature by February 1.
- The legislature adopts a budget in April or May.
- The fiscal year begins in July.
Iowa is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[5][6]
The governor is statutorily required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is statutorily required to adopt a balanced budget.[5]
Governor's office budget
The combined governor and lieutenant governor proposed budget for 2024 was $3,208,699.[7]
Compensation
The salaries of elected and appointed executives in Iowa are determined by the Iowa State Legislature.[8] Article IV, Section 15 of the Iowa Constitution states the following:
| Text of Section 15:
Terms--Compensation The official terms of the governor and lieutenant governor shall commence on the Tuesday after the second Monday of January next after their election and shall continue until their successors are elected and qualify. The governor and lieutenant governor shall be paid compensation and expenses as provided by law. The lieutenant governor, while acting as governor, shall be paid the compensation and expenses prescribed for the governor.[1] |
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2012
In 2012, the governor was paid an estimated $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.
2010
In 2010, the governor was paid $130,000 a year, the 24th highest gubernatorial salary in America at the time.
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
From 1992 to 2013, Iowa had Democratic governors in office for 12 years while there were Republican governors in office for 10 years, including the last three.
Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82 percent) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27 percent) from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Iowa, the Iowa State Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
SQLI and partisanship
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Iowa state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Iowa enjoyed a nine-year period in the top-10 of the SQLI ranking between 2003 and 2012, under both divided government and a Democratic trifecta. During the period of the study, Iowa was in the top-10 of the SQLI ranking for twelve out of twenty years. Iowa claimed the top spot in the SQLI ranking twice, once in 2009 and again in 2012. The state’s lowest SQLI ranking came in 1995 (14th) under divided government.
- SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 3.50
- SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 12.00
- SQLI average with divided government: 8.87
Historical officeholders
There have been 43 Governors of Iowa since 1846. Of the 43 officeholders, 32 were Republican, 10 were Democrat and one was Whig.[18]
| List of officeholders from 1846-present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Ansel Briggs | 1846 - 1850 | |||
| 2 | Stephen Hempstead | 1850 - 1854 | |||
| 3 | James Wilson Grimes | 1854 - 1858 | Whig | ||
| 4 | Ralph Phillips Lowe | 1858 - 1860 | |||
| 5 | Samuel Jordan Kirkwood | 1860 - 1864 | |||
| 6 | William Milo Stone | 1864 - 1868 | |||
| 7 | Samuel Merrill | 1868 - 1872 | |||
| 8 | Cyrus Clay Carpenter | 1872 - 1876 | |||
| 9 | Samuel Jordan Kirkwood | 1876 - 1877 | |||
| 10 | Joshua G. Newbold | 1877 - 1878 | |||
| 11 | John Henry Gear | 1878 - 1882 | |||
| 12 | Buren Robinson Sherman | 1882 - 1886 | |||
| 13 | William Larrabee | 1886 - 1890 | |||
| 14 | Horace Boies | 1890 - 1894 | |||
| 15 | Frank Darr Jackson | 1894 - 1896 | |||
| 16 | Francis Marion Drake | 1896 - 1898 | |||
| 17 | Leslie Mortier Shaw | 1898 - 1902 | |||
| 18 | Albert Baird Cummins | 1902 - 1908 | |||
| 19 | Warren Garst | 1908 - 1909 | |||
| 20 | Beryl Franklin Carroll | 1909 - 1913 | |||
| 21 | George Washington Clarke | 1913 - 1917 | |||
| 22 | William Lloyd Harding | 1917 - 1921 | |||
| 23 | Nathan Edward Kendall | 1921 - 1925 | |||
| 24 | John Hammill | 1925 - 1931 | |||
| 25 | Daniel Webster Turner | 1931 - 1933 | |||
| 26 | Clyde Laverne Herring | 1933 - 1937 | |||
| 27 | Nelson George Kraschel | 1937 - 1939 | |||
| 28 | George Allison Wilson | 1939 - 1943 | |||
| 29 | Bourke Blakemore Hickenlooper | 1943 - 1945 | |||
| 30 | Robert Donald Blue | 1945 - 1949 | |||
| 31 | William S. Beardsley | 1949 - 1954 | |||
| 32 | Leo Elthon | 1954 - 1955 | |||
| 33 | Leo Arthur Hoegh | 1955 - 1957 | |||
| 34 | Herschel C. Loveless | 1957 - 1961 | |||
| 35 | Norman Arthur Erbe | 1961 - 1963 | |||
| 36 | Harold Everett Hughes | 1963 - 1969 | |||
| 37 | Robert David Fulton | 1969 - 1969 | |||
| 38 | Robert D. Ray | 1969 - 1983 | |||
| 39 | Terry E. Branstad | 1983 - 1999 | |||
| 40 | Thomas J. Vilsack | 1999 - 2007 | |||
| 41 | Chet Culver | 2007 - 2011 | |||
| 42 | Terry E. Branstad | 2011 - 2017 | |||
| 43 | Kim Reynolds | 2017 - present | |||
State profile
| Demographic data for Iowa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 3,121,997 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 55,857 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 91.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 3.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 5.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 91.5% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 26.7% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,183 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 13.8% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Iowa. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Iowa
Iowa voted for the Democratic candidate in three out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 31 are located in Iowa, accounting for 15.04 percent of the total pivot counties.[19]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Iowa had 31 Retained Pivot Counties, 17.13 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Iowa coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Iowa
- United States congressional delegations from Iowa
- Public policy in Iowa
- Endorsers in Iowa
- Iowa fact checks
- More...
Contact information
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
1007 East Grand Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50319
Phone: (515) 281-5211
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Office of the Governor of Iowa
- State of Iowa, "The Three Branches of Government: How they Work in Iowa"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Iowa Legislature, "Constitution of the State of Iowa," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Iowa Official Register, "AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF IOWA- Amendments of 1988," January 17, 2021
- ↑ Office of the Governor of Iowa, "About the Governor," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "Branstad to Resign, Reynolds to Take Oath Wednesday Morning," May 23, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ Iowa Budget Report, "FY2024," accessed December 8, 2023
- ↑ The Iowa Legislature, "Chapter 1219," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ National Governors Association, "Former Iowa Governors," accessed January 17, 2021, Office of the Governor of Iowa, "Kim Reynolds," accessed January 17, 2021
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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