2014 Iowa gubernatorial election


The 2014 Iowa gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014. Republican incumbent Terry Branstad ran for reelection to a sixth overall and second consecutive four-year term. Branstad went on to win a historic sixth term as governor by defeating Democratic challenger and State Senator Jack Hatch, and on December 14, 2015, he became the longest-serving governor in American history. He won 59.1% of the popular vote to Hatch's 37.3%, and carried every county in the state except Johnson, home to Iowa City and the University of Iowa. This was one of the nine Republican-held governorships up for election in a state that Barack Obama won in the 2012 presidential election.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Democratic primary

Narcisse was disqualified from appearing on the ballot in the Democratic primary following a ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court that upheld a lower court decision that held that Narcisse had not submitted enough valid signatures to be placed on the ballot for the primary election. Narcisse continued his campaign and declared his intention to run for the nomination as a write-in candidate. When he was unsuccessful, he announced that he would be running in the general election as the nominee of the Iowa Party.

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Declined

General election

Candidates

Debates

Polling

With Branstad

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Terry
Branstad 		Bruce
Braley 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingFebruary 1–3, 2013846± %47%41%—11%
Public Policy PollingMay 3–6, 20121,181± 2.85%44%40%—16%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Terry
Branstad 		Chet
Culver 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJuly 5–7, 2013668± 3.8%47%42%—11%
Public Policy PollingFebruary 1–3, 2013846± %50%40%—10%
Public Policy PollingMay 3–6, 20121,181± 2.85%44%42%—14%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Terry
Branstad 		Michael
Gronstal 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJuly 5–7, 2013668± 3.8%50%36%—14%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Terry
Branstad 		Bob
Krause 		OtherUndecided
QuinnipiacDecember 10–15, 20131,617± 2.4%49%31%1%19%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Terry
Branstad 		Dave
Loebsack 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingFebruary 1–3, 2013846± %48%38%—14%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Terry
Branstad 		Tyler
Olson 		OtherUndecided
QuinnipiacDecember 10–15, 20131,617± 2.4%50%32%1%17%
Selzer & Co.December 8–11, 2013325± ?%51%28%8%13%
Public Policy PollingJuly 5–7, 2013668± 3.8%47%33%—20%
Public Policy PollingFebruary 1–3, 2013846± %47%31%—22%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Terry
Branstad 		Tom
Vilsack 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingFebruary 1–3, 2013846± %47%46%—8%
Public Policy PollingMay 3–6, 20121,181± 2.85%43%46%—11%

With Hoefling

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Tom
Hoefling 		Jack
Hatch 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingMay 15–19, 2014914± 3.3%30%37%—33%
Suffolk UniversityApril 3–8, 2014800± 3.5%23%35%3%39%
Public Policy PollingFebruary 20–23, 2014869± 3.3%30%34%—36%

With Reynolds

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Kim
Reynolds 		Chet
Culver 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJuly 5–7, 2013668± 3.8%38%42%—20%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Kim
Reynolds 		Michael
Gronstal 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJuly 5–7, 2013668± 3.8%37%37%—26%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Kim
Reynolds 		Jack
Hatch 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJuly 5–7, 2013668± 3.8%36%33%—30%

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Kim
Reynolds 		Tyler
Olson 		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJuly 5–7, 2013668± 3.8%36%32%—32%

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Branstad won all four congressional districts, including one held by a Democrat.
DistrictBranstadHatchRepresentative
55.95%40.98%Rod Blum
56.66%39.85%Dave Loebsack
56.55%38.79%David Young
67.25%29.39%Steve King