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The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the state's four U.S. Representatives. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. Primary elections were held on June 5, 2012.
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The new congressional map, drawn by the state's Legislative Services Agency and passed with bipartisan support in the state House of Representatives and Senate, was signed into law by Governor Terry Branstad on April 19, 2011. Reflecting population shifts recorded in the 2010 United States Census, the new map decreases Iowa's representation from five congressional districts to four. As of 2016, this is the last time in which Democrats won more than one congressional district in Iowa.
District 1
Bruce Braley, a Democrat the incumbent representative from the 1st district in northeastern Iowa since 2007, ran in the new 1st district. Fellow incumbent Dave Loebsack, who lived within the boundaries of the new 1st district in Linn County, but who had represented southeastern Iowa's 2nd district since 2007, moved to Johnson County and ran in the new 2nd district. The 1st district has become more favorable to Democrats with the inclusion of Linn County and its loss of Scott County. Braley won the Democratic nomination unopposed.
Rod Blum, a businessman, and Ben Lange, who challenged Braley as the Republican nominee in 2010, sought the Republican nomination. Steve Rathje, a businessman, had planned to run, but ended his bid in December 2011. Lange won the Republican primary with 13,217 votes to Blum's 11,551.
In May 2011, Roll Call rated the race as "Safe Democratic".
District 2
None of Iowa's current members of Congress resided in the newly-drawn 2nd district; however, Democrat Dave Loebsack moved from Linn County to Johnson County in order to avoid a primary against Bruce Braley and continue representing southeastern Iowa. The 2nd district became slightly more favorable to Republicans as a result of the inclusion of Scott County, but retains Democratic-leaning Johnson County. State senator Joe Seng challenged Loebsack in the Democratic primary. Loebsack defeated Seng in the primary.
John Archer, a senior legal counsel at John Deere, and Dan Dolan, a housing developer, sought the Republican nomination. Richard Gates, a machinist and Tea Party activist, had planned to run, but ended his bid in February 2012. Archer won the primary. Roll Call rated the race as "Likely Democratic".
District 3
Leonard Boswell, a Democrat who represented the 3rd district in central Iowa since 1997, and Tom Latham, a Republican who represented the 4th district in northern and central Iowa since 1995, both ran in the new 3rd district. Latham, who lived in the new 4th district, moved south to avoid facing fellow Republican Steve King in a primary. Approximately half of the new 3rd district was represented by Boswell, whereas the new 3rd district contains more than 20 percent of the area currently represented by Latham. However, Latham had $983,500 cash on hand at the end of March 2011, whereas Boswell had just $173,815.
Latham ended up defeating Boswell.
Roll Call rated the race as a tossup.
The first debate was held October 10, 2012 at 7 pm, sponsored by KCCI and the Des Moines Register.
District 4
Steve King, a Republican represented western Iowa's 5th district since 2003, ran in the new 4th district. Christie Vilsack, the former First Lady of Iowa, was the Democratic nominee against King. Brady Olson also ran in the Liberty party against both King and Vilsack. The new 4th district comprises mostly territory which King represented and which tends to vote for Republican candidates.
King defeated Vilsack in the general election.
Roll Call rated the race as "Leans Republican".