Eric Armstrong Wins Iowa House Seat Despite Suspending His Campaign in September

An Iowa Democrat who stopped campaigning two months ago has won his race anyway. Eric Armstrong of Council Bluffs won the open seat in Iowa House District 20 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, even though he suspended his campaign in early September because of health issues.

His name stayed on the ballot because of when he withdrew, and the Associated Press called the race in his favor, WOI Local 5 reported.

The result

With 99% of the votes counted, the AP said Armstrong took 55.19% of the vote over Republican Keith Jones, according to WOI. The Daily Beast described Jones as a retired police lieutenant and the district as red-leaning.

The largely suburban district sits in southwest Iowa’s Pottawattamie County and covers parts of Council Bluffs and Carter Lake, the Daily Beast reported.

Why Armstrong dropped out

Armstrong, described by the Daily Beast as a former railroad executive, announced on social media on Sept. 7 that he was stepping back.

“Running a successful campaign requires immense physical and mental energy. Recently, I have been facing some personal health issues that require my full attention and immediate care,” he wrote, according to WOI.

“Our District deserves a representative who can give 100 percent of their energy to this race,” he added, per the Daily Beast. “Right now, I must focus on healing so that I can continue to serve our community in other ways in the future.”

He has not said publicly what health issues he faces.

Will Eric Armstrong serve?

That is the open question. The Daily Beast quoted Armstrong as saying, “But I still have health issues, that’s what I’m struggling with.” Neither WOI nor the Daily Beast had heard back from him when they published, and the reporting we reviewed does not say definitively whether he will take the seat or what would happen if he declines.

Whose seat is it?

Armstrong was running to replace Democrat Josh Turek, who flipped the district in 2022 and ran for the U.S. Senate this year. Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball, defeated Republican Ashley Hinson on Tuesday for the seat held by outgoing Sen. Joni Ernst, the Daily Beast reported. He is the first Democrat to win an Iowa Senate seat since 2008.

WOI noted that the result came on a night many observers called a “blue wave” for Democrats nationally.

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