Iowa 3rd Congressional District
Akashic| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2008 | +7.5% |
| 2012 | +5.9% |
| 2016 | −3.0% |
| 2020 | −0.3% |
| 2024 | −4.4% |
Federal officeholders only. State and local officeholders are planned for the next data pass.
U.S. House
Each result reflects the U.S. House district as it was drawn for that election; redistricting has redrawn these lines over time, so they can differ from the current 120th-Congress district shown on the map above.
| Year | District | Won | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | R | 47.9%197,962 | 51.8%213,746 | 412,905 |
| 2022 | 3 | R | 49.6%154,117 | 50.3%156,262 | 310,913 |
| 2020 | 3 | D | 48.9%219,205 | 47.5%212,997 | 447,947 |
| 2018 | 3 | D | 49.3%175,642 | 47.1%167,933 | 356,241 |
| 2016 | 3 | R | 39.7%155,002 | 53.4%208,598 | 390,287 |
| 2014 | 3 | R | 42.2%119,109 | 52.8%148,814 | 282,066 |
| 2012 | 3 | R | 43.6%168,632 | 52.2%202,000 | 386,842 |
| 2010 | 3 | D | 50.7%122,147 | 46.5%111,925 | 240,756 |
| 2008 | 3 | D | 56.4%176,904 | 42.1%132,136 | 313,639 |
| 2006 | 3 | D | 51.9%115,769 | 46.5%103,722 | 223,082 |
| 2004 | 3 | D | 55.2%168,007 | 44.7%136,099 | 304,319 |
| 2002 | 3 | D | 53.4%115,367 | 45.0%97,285 | 215,985 |
| 2000 | 3 | D | 62.8%156,327 | 33.7%83,810 | 248,926 |
| 1998 | 3 | D | 56.9%107,947 | 41.2%78,063 | 189,684 |
| 1996 | 3 | D | 49.4%115,914 | 47.6%111,895 | 234,875 |
| 1994 | 3 | R | 41.0%79,310 | 57.8%111,862 | 193,531 |
| 1992 | 3 | R | 47.1%121,063 | 49.0%125,931 | 257,175 |
| 1990 | 3 | D | 99.2%100,947 | 0.0%0 | 101,780 |
| 1988 | 3 | D | 63.4%129,204 | 36.6%74,682 | 203,932 |
| 1986 | 3 | D | 54.6%83,504 | 45.4%69,386 | 152,920 |
| 1984 | 3 | R | 39.3%86,574 | 60.7%133,737 | 220,311 |
| 1982 | 3 | R | 44.5%83,581 | 55.5%104,072 | 187,675 |
| 1980 | 3 | R | 48.5%101,735 | 51.4%107,869 | 209,945 |
| 1978 | 3 | R | 25.2%34,880 | 74.8%103,659 | 138,539 |
| 1976 | 3 | R | 43.5%90,981 | 56.5%117,957 | 208,938 |
U.S. Senate
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | R | 43.8%533,330 | 56.0%681,501 | 1,216,646 |
| 2020 | R | 45.2%754,859 | 51.8%864,997 | 1,670,617 |
| 2016 | R | 35.7%549,460 | 60.2%926,007 | 1,539,351 |
| 2014 | R | 43.8%494,370 | 52.2%588,575 | 1,128,589 |
| 2010 | R | 33.3%371,686 | 64.4%718,215 | 1,115,191 |
| 2008 | D | 62.7%941,665 | 37.3%560,006 | 1,501,671 |
| 2004 | R | 27.9%412,365 | 70.2%1,038,175 | 1,478,753 |
| 2002 | D | 54.2%554,278 | 43.8%447,892 | 1,022,374 |
| 1998 | R | 30.5%289,049 | 68.4%648,480 | 947,632 |
| 1996 | D | 51.8%634,166 | 46.7%571,807 | 1,224,054 |
| 1992 | R | 27.2%351,561 | 69.6%899,761 | 1,292,201 |
| 1990 | D | 54.5%535,975 | 45.4%446,869 | 983,933 |
| 1986 | R | 33.6%299,406 | 66.0%588,880 | 891,762 |
| 1984 | D | 55.5%716,883 | 43.7%564,381 | 1,292,700 |
| 1980 | R | 45.5%581,545 | 53.5%683,014 | 1,276,986 |
| 1978 | R | 47.9%395,066 | 51.1%421,598 | 824,576 |
Iowa's 3rd covers the Des Moines metro and its fast-growing suburbs, where a 2020 presidential split has narrowed to R+3.9 in 2024, reflecting the competitive realignment reshaping Midwestern urban-suburban corridors.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 7.5 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 4.4 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 4.0 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 4.4 points.
A population of 797,551, a 81% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $80,844 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Congressional District 1 and Congressional District 7.
The congressional districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Iowa 3rd Congressional District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cd/1903/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.