Urban-rural divide: A tale of two voting Iowas Increasingly, Iowa Democrats win only in cities and

Urban-rural divide: A tale of two voting Iowas Increasingly, Iowa Democrats win only in cities and suburbs


DES MOINES — The last time Iowa had a race for governor without an elected incumbent, the Democratic candidate won 62 counties, dotting the map with blue counties from river to river.

In last week’s midterm elections, even though the Democratic candidate lost by just 3 points, only 11 of Iowa’s 99 counties were blue — and they were all in Central or Eastern Iowa.

The divide between rural and urban voters in Iowa continues to sharpen. Democrats dominate in the state’s biggest cities, while Republicans own the rural areas. It’s existed for more than a few election cycles, but the contrast has grown increasingly stark.

In the past six gubernatorial elections, starting with Democrat Tom Vilsack’s first victory in 1998, Democrats won 49, 68, 62, 9, 1 and 11 counties.

Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/urban-rural-divide-iowa-2018-midterm-elections-20181110