Iowa State Senate District 39

Tue, Nov 3 · Represented by Liz Bennett Democratic · Member list as of Oct 28

Liz BennettDemocratic · Incumbent4 years since first win

No published poll names both candidates.Last result · 2022 general: Liz Bennett (D) 64.8, Edward Hayes (R) 35.1

Edward Bernie HayesRepublican

Last election: Liz Bennett (Democratic) won by 29.7 points, 2022
On the 2026 ballot: 2 candidates

All State Senate districts

Side by side

Left column: BennettRight column: Hayes

Donor-based spectrum: LiberalCentristConservativeBennettHayes
Races: Won 5 of 5; Won 0 of 2
Years since first win: 4; Not available

How these are counted

The spectrum is a published research score, not our rating. How this works. Wins and losses count the races in our results files, the same as each profile.

More about this race

Candidates on the ballot

Liz BennettIncumbentDemocratic
Edward Bernie HayesRepublican

Source: sos.iowa.gov (PDF), dated Aug 19

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Official results for Iowa

History (15 elections for this seat)

Votes for listed candidates: 20,462
Election day: November 8, 2022
District map: Older district map (2022)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 2022, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticLiz BennettWon	Democratic	13,25764.8%	64.8%
RepublicanEdward Hayes	Republican	7,19035.1%	35.1%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	150.1%	0.1%

Votes for listed candidates: 28,888
Election day: November 6, 2018
District map: Older district map (2012 to 2021)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 2018, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticKevin KinneyWon(incumbent)	Democratic	15,75854.5%	54.5%
RepublicanHeather Hora	Republican	13,13045.5%	45.5%

Votes for listed candidates: 23,698
Election day: November 4, 2014
District map: Older district map (2012 to 2021)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 2014, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticKevin KinneyWon	Democratic	12,37152.2%	52.2%
RepublicanMichael D. Moore	Republican	11,30647.7%	47.7%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	210.1%	0.1%

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 2010, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticJoe BolkcomWon(incumbent)	Democratic	19,48597.6%	97.6%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	4862.4%	2.4%

Votes for listed candidates: 18,911
Election day: November 7, 2006
District map: Older district map (2002 to 2011)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 2006, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticJoe BolkcomWon(incumbent)	Democratic	14,81678.3%	78.3%
IndependentJay Christensenszalanski	Independent	4,09521.6%	21.6%

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 2002, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticJoe BolkcomWon(incumbent)	Democratic	14,559100.0%	100.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 24,221
Election day: November 3, 1998
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1998, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanJoann DouglasWon(incumbent)	Republican	13,70856.6%	56.6%
DemocraticBrent A. Halling	Democratic	10,51343.4%	43.4%

Votes for listed candidates: 23,766
Election day: November 8, 1994
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1994, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanJoann DouglasWon	Republican	14,26860.0%	60.0%
DemocraticLiz Garst	Democratic	8,57036.1%	36.1%
OtherVerlyn L. Hayes	Other	9283.9%	3.9%

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1990, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticWilliam D. PalmerWon(incumbent)	Democratic	16,219100.0%	100.0%

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1986, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticWilliam D. PalmerWon(incumbent)	Democratic	13,75999.1%	99.1%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	1240.9%	0.9%

Votes for listed candidates: 21,224
Election day: November 2, 1982
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1982, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticWilliam D. PalmerWon(incumbent)	Democratic	12,04956.8%	56.8%
RepublicanGary L. Baugher	Republican	9,17543.2%	43.2%

Votes for listed candidates: 16,037
Election day: November 7, 1978
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1978, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanNorman J. GoodwinWon	Republican	9,52259.4%	59.4%
DemocraticPaul R. Willis Jr.	Democratic	6,51540.6%	40.6%

Votes for listed candidates: 16,213
Election day: November 4, 1974
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1974, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanRoger J. ShaffWon(incumbent)	Republican	8,95455.2%	55.2%
DemocraticJohn James Hunter	Democratic	7,25544.8%	44.8%
Scattered write-ins	Write-in	40.0%	0.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 22,146
Election day: November 7, 1972
District map: Older district map (1972 to 1981)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1972, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanRoger J. ShaffWon(incumbent)	Republican	12,53756.6%	56.6%
DemocraticDonald R. Arenz	Democratic	9,60943.4%	43.4%

Votes for listed candidates: 20,261
Election day: November 5, 1968
District map: Older district map (1966 to 1969)

Iowa Senate District 39, 1968 to 2022, 1968, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanFloyd GilleyWon	Republican	10,66252.6%	52.6%
DemocraticH. L. Heying(incumbent)	Democratic	9,59947.4%	47.4%

1968 to 2022: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), retrieved Oct 28, 2026. Compiled by Carl Klarner (Harvard Dataverse) from official returns; not an official source

Only part of this chamber is up in a given cycle. Which districts vote on which date is not on file. Last contest in this district on file: 2022.

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Election Wrld. (2026). Iowa State Senate District 39, election results 1968 to 2022. https://www.electionwrld.com/ia/senate/39. Retrieved October 31, 2026.

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Sources

Sources: Census TIGERweb Legislative MapServer (120th CDs layer 0, 119th CDs layer 4, 2026 SLD upper layer 1 and lower layer 2) (US Census Bureau, public domain), retrieved Oct 28, 2026; Open Civic Data division identifiers (census_autogenerated us_sldl/us_sldu and openstates state files); also (sld-recent.json): Open Civic Data division identifiers (country-us) (CC0 (repository); also (sld-recent.json): CC0 1.0), retrieved Oct 28, 2026; Open States people (current) CSVs (CC0-1.0 (Open States people data)), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by Open States volunteers and staff (rosters from state legislature sites) from official returns, not an official source; State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse) (CC0 1.0), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by Carl Klarner (Harvard Dataverse) from official returns, not an official source.

District id: ocd-division/country:us/state:ia/sldu:39

DataState data (JSON)Sources: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), DIME (ODC-BY)Data as of Oct 28, 2026