The Johnston Brief
2026 is a big ballot in Johnston: an open U.S. Senate seat, an open governor's race, all six statewide executive offices, an open Iowa House seat, and three Polk County offices. Here is the whole ballot, race by race, with the candidates listed in each and one plain line on what the office actually does. We take no side and endorse no one.
This is the certified ballot, checked October 13, 2026 against the Iowa Secretary of State's general election candidate list and the official Polk County sample ballot for every Johnston precinct. Every Johnston precinct gets the same partisan races. The only difference: voters in the township portions of precincts 3 and 6 also see two Webster Township offices. Names are listed alphabetically, not in any order of preference, and we endorse no one.
Johnston's November 3, 2026 ballot has: an open U.S. Senate seat, the IA-03 U.S. House race, an open governor's race, five other statewide offices, Iowa House District 43 (an open seat), three Polk County offices, nonpartisan county boards, judicial retention, and Constitutional Amendment 1. There is no Iowa Senate race and no county supervisor race on any Johnston ballot this year. See how and when to vote.
Early voting: Oct 14 to Nov 2 · Election Day Tue Nov 3
Every Johnston precinct has the same statehouse and county races: Iowa House District 43, no state Senate race and no supervisor race. The polling-place lookup shows your precinct; sample ballots are posted by precinct number.
All six of Iowa's statewide executive offices are on the 2026 ballot.
All of Johnston is in Iowa House District 43 and Iowa Senate District 22. House District 43 is on the ballot. Senate District 22 is not on the 2026 ballot (only odd-numbered Senate seats are up this year), so there is no Iowa Senate race on any Johnston ballot. All eight Johnston precinct sample ballots match on this.
There is no county supervisor race on any Johnston ballot. All eight Johnston precincts are in Polk County Supervisor District 2, which is not up this year; Districts 1, 4 and 5 are on the ballot elsewhere in the county. Johnston voters do choose the countywide offices below.
Nonpartisan races near the bottom of the ballot: County Hospital Trustee (vote for 2: Abu Bakarr Sillah, Emily Webb, Emily Westergaard); Soil & Water Conservation Commissioner (vote for 2: Deborah Neustadt, Kirk Norris, Autumn L. Ogden, Douglas R. Zehr); County Agricultural Extension Council (vote for 5: Dennis H. Goering, Angela Hilbert, Jennifer Quiner, Emma Runde, Cynthia Twedt) plus a vacancy seat (vote for 1: Harrison Furlow).
Township portions of precincts 3 and 6 only: Webster Township Clerk (Evan Trainer) and Webster Township Trustee (no candidate filed; write-in line only).
Statewide Constitutional Amendment 1 would require a two-thirds vote of each chamber of the Legislature to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-type tax (local option taxes are excluded). It's on every Iowa ballot, on the back of the Johnston ballot. A yes vote adds the requirement; a no vote leaves the constitution as it is.
No local questions. None of Johnston's precinct sample ballots has a city, school district or county public measure this year.
Judicial retention is a yes or no on keeping each judge, not a race between candidates. No Iowa Supreme Court justices are on the 2026 ballot. Every Johnston ballot lists:
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An open U.S. Senate seat, the IA-03 U.S. House race, an open governor's race, five other statewide offices, Iowa House District 43, Polk County Attorney, Treasurer and Recorder, nonpartisan county boards, judicial retention, and Constitutional Amendment 1. Every Johnston precinct gets the same partisan races.
No. All of Johnston is in Iowa Senate District 22, which is not on the 2026 ballot. (Senate District 23, Wes Enos (R) vs. Tony Thompson (D), does not include any Johnston precinct.)
Jill Alesch (D) and Nicole Hasso (R). It is an open seat, and it covers all of Johnston.
No. Johnston is entirely in Polk County Supervisor District 2, which is not on the 2026 ballot.
Zach Lahn (R) with running mate Derek Wulf, and Rob Sand (D) with running mate Dave Muhlbauer. The seat is open because Gov. Kim Reynolds is not on the ballot.
Ashley Hinson (R), Thomas Laehn (Libertarian) and Josh Turek (D). The seat is open because Sen. Joni Ernst is not on the ballot.
A proposed amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each chamber of the Iowa Legislature to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-type tax. Local option taxes are excluded. It is on every Iowa ballot.
No. Three Court of Appeals judges and local District 5C judges are on the retention ballot, but no Supreme Court justices.
Early voting runs Oct. 14 to Nov. 2 at the Polk County Election Office, 2309 Euclid Ave, Des Moines (weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., plus Saturday Oct. 24, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 31, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). In Johnston, the Johnston Public Library (6700 Merle Hay Rd) is a satellite site Wednesday Oct. 21 through Saturday Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.