REAL DUBUQUE NEWS (RDN)
Correction: AP has not called Iowa's governor, Senate or 2nd District races
LOCAL NEWS WIRE • November 03, 2026
RDN reported AP calls in three races Tuesday night based on a misread of election graphics. The AP lists all three as too early to call; Sand, Turek and James lead in unofficial returns.
KEY FACTS & RECORD HIGHLIGHTS
- CORRECTION: RDN's ~9:24-9:26 PM posts claiming AP calls in the governor, U.S. Senate and IA-2 races were wrong. The AP has not called any of the three (AP: Too Early to Call, verified ~10:00 PM CT). Those posts are retracted.
- Governor statewide (SOS, 9:53 PM): Rob Sand / Dave Muhlbauer (D) 533,902 (55.0%); Zach Lahn / Derek Wulf (R) 434,997 (44.8%). Sand leads by 98,905. Write-in 1,239. 61 of 99 counties reporting. Unofficial.
- U.S. Senate statewide (SOS, 9:53 PM): Josh Turek (D) 482,607 (50.0%); Ashley Hinson (R) 452,120 (46.8%); Thomas Laehn (L) 29,609 (3.1%). Turek leads by 30,487. Write-in 1,203. Unofficial.
- U.S. House District 2 (SOS, 9:53 PM): Lindsay James (D) 136,950 (51.2%); Joe Mitchell (R) 118,328 (44.2%); Rick Stewart (L) 7,123 (2.7%); Dave Bushaw (no party) 4,920 (1.8%). James leads by 18,622. 12 of 22 counties reporting. Unofficial.
- Statewide: 1,077 of 1,656 precincts reporting; 1,020,349 ballots cast (46.84% turnout).
- Dubuque County FINAL (34 of 34 precincts): Governor Sand 24,674 vs Lahn 18,979; Senate Turek 22,472 vs Hinson 20,147 vs Laehn 1,057; IA-2 James 22,307 vs Mitchell 19,450 vs Stewart 1,004 vs Bushaw 534.
- Results are unofficial until the county and state canvasses certify them.
REAL DUBUQUE NEWS (RDN)
DES MOINES: Real Dubuque News is correcting three election night posts. RDN reported that the Associated Press had called Iowa's governor's race for Rob Sand, the U.S. Senate race for Josh Turek and the 2nd Congressional District race for Lindsay James. That was wrong. The AP has not called any of the three races. Its own results pages list all three as too early to call, and no winner has been declared. The earlier posts have been retracted.
What the official figures do show, in the Iowa Secretary of State's 9:53 p.m. update: Sand leads Zach Lahn 533,902 to 434,997 in the governor's race, with 61 of 99 counties reporting. Turek leads Ashley Hinson 482,607 to 452,120 in the Senate race, with Thomas Laehn at 29,609. James leads Joe Mitchell 136,950 to 118,328 in the 2nd District, with 12 of 22 counties reporting. Statewide, 1,077 of 1,656 precincts have reported.
The mistake came from a misread of results graphics on election night. RDN's rule is that a race is called only when the AP has called it and the Secretary of State figures agree, or when the Secretary of State figures make the outcome certain. That standard was not met, and the three posts should not have gone out as calls. RDN regrets the error.
All figures are unofficial until the county and state canvasses certify them. RDN follows the returns all night.
Official Attribution: Iowa Secretary of State election results, electionresults.iowa.gov (statewide, last updated 9:53:27 p.m. CT Nov 3; page footer 9:55:41 p.m.) • Associated Press election results pages, apnews.com (Governor, U.S. Senate Class II, U.S. House District 2, Iowa: all 'Too Early to Call', verified ~10:00 p.m. CT Nov 3) • KCRG election results, AP-fed widget (no winner badge on governor, Senate, IA-2 or Amendment 1, 9:52 p.m. CT Nov 3) • Iowa Secretary of State, Dubuque County page (last updated 9:17:08 p.m. CT; 34 of 34 precincts, final)