Iowa Democrat Eric Armstrong, who publicly suspended his campaign on September 7 citing personal health problems and said the district “deserves a representative who can give 100 percent of their energy to this race,” won Iowa House District 20 anyway.
Armstrong, a former railroad executive from Carter Lake, defeated Republican Keith Jones 4,602 votes to 3,737 (55.2% to 44.8%), according to unofficial results reported by the Associated Press and Iowa election data. The margin was roughly 865 votes in a district covering parts of Council Bluffs and Carter Lake in Pottawattamie County.
Armstrong announced his withdrawal via Facebook and Instagram, writing that he faced “personal health issues that require my full attention and immediate care” and was stepping down “effective immediately” to prioritize recovery.
“Our District deserves a representative who can give 100 percent of their energy to this race. Right now, I must focus on healing so that I can continue to serve our community in other ways in the future,” he said at the time.
His name remained on the ballot, and he conducted no active campaign for nearly two months. He has not publicly specified the nature of the health issues.
In a Wednesday morning phone interview with The New York Times, Armstrong said he would “do my best to represent” the district. “But I still have health issues, that’s what I’m struggling with.”
The seat was previously held by Democrat Josh Turek, who vacated it to run for U.S. Senate and defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, helping flip control of the Senate to Democrats.
In 2024, Turek won the House district by about five points; voter registration showed a Republican edge of roughly R+4.8 among active voters, and the district went for the Republican presidential candidate by about eight points in 2024. Many local Democrats had expected to lose it after Armstrong’s exit.
Armstrong’s victory was hardly an isolated development.
Republicans suffered a series of significant defeats throughout Iowa on Tuesday, including the loss of the governor’s mansion and a U.S. Senate seat.
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Democrat Rob Sand defeated Republican Zach Lahn in the race to succeed outgoing Republican Governor Kim Reynolds.
That victory ended nearly 16 years of Republican control of Iowa’s governorship.
Meanwhile, Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson in Iowa’s U.S. Senate contest, delivering another major setback to the GOP.
Turek previously represented the same Iowa House district that Armstrong has now won.
The defeats are particularly striking considering President Donald Trump’s double-digit victory in Iowa during the 2024 presidential election.
The post Iowa Democrat Who Quit His Campaign in September Over Health Issues Still Wins State House Seat in Republican-Leaning District: “I’m Going to Do My Best to Represent… But I Still Have Health Issues” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.