Iowa established primary elections as the method for nominating candidates in 1907, and the first official statewide primary was held in 1908. All primaries have been in early June, except 1966 and 1968 (September) and 1972 (August), when redistricting forced delays.
Turnout
Johnson County voters set new records for overall turnout, Democratic turnout, and early voting in the 2020 primary. 29,142 voters, including 24,652 Democrats, participated. The previous primary turnout record was set in the 2018 primary with 18,675 voters.
The 2020 primary set a record for the highest share of votes cast early in any Johnson County election. 22,370 voters (76.76% of total turnout) voted before Election Day. While our office had limited in-person early voting and no satellite sites, we mailed more ballots than we had in any previous election, including presidential elections.
With 4,490 Republican voters, 2020 saw the third highest Republican primary turnout in county history. The Republican primary turnout record was set in 1994. 6,192 people voted in that primary, which featured a race for Governor between incumbent Terry Branstad and Congressman Fred Grandy.
The Libertarian Party had its first primary in 2018 and set a new record for third parties with 82 voters. The previous record was 48 voters in the 2002 Green Party primary.
Low Turnout
The low turnout records are from years with no contested races. The 2004 Republican primary turnout of 630 voters was the lowest in at least 40 years. The 2002 Democratic primary total of 1,062 voters was the lowest since the June 1920 primary - held two months before the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.
Primary Turnout and Contests, 1984-present
| Primary Date | Total Turnout | Democratic | Republican | ||
| Turnout | Contests | Turnout | Contests | ||
| June 5, 1984 | 5,903 | 5,257 | Supervisor, House 45, Clerk of Court | 644 | House 54 |
| June 3, 1986 * | 8,186 | 6,300 | Gov.,Lt. Gov., US Sen., US Rep., Ag. Sec., House 54, Supervisor | 1,476 | Lt. Gov., Ag. Sec., Senate 27 |
| June 7, 1988 | 7,342 | 6,159 | US Rep., Sheriff, Supervisor | 1,183 | US Rep. |
| June 5, 1990 | 9,931 | 8,995 | Governor, State Auditor, Supervisor | 936 | Attorney General |
| June 2, 1992 | 7,748 | 6,731 | US Senate, Supervisor | 1,017 | House 49 |
| June 7, 1994 | 13,418 | 7,226 | Governor, US Rep. Sec. of State, Supervisor, House 49 | 6,192 (Rep record) |
Governor, House 46 |
| June 4, 1996 | 9,858 | 7,661 | US Rep, Auditor, Supervisor, House 45 | 2,197 | US Senate |
| June 2, 1998 * | 10,296 | 8,309 | Governor, US Rep, Sec. of State, Recorder, Treasurer, Supervisor | 1,966 | Governor, Sec. of Ag. |
| June 6, 2000 | 7,503 | 6,655 | US Rep, Supervisor, House 45 | 848 | none |
| June 4, 2002 * | 4,496 | 1,062 | none | 3,386 | Governor, US Senate |
| June 8, 2004 | 9,305 | 8,675 | Supervisor, Sheriff | 630 | none |
| June 6, 2006 | 11,906 | 11,066 | Governor, Sec. of Ag., Co. Atty., Supervisor | 840 | Sec. of State, Sec. of Ag. |
| June 3, 2008 | 5,130 | 3,652 | Auditor, Supervisor | 1,478 | US Senate, US Representative |
| June 8, 2010 | 8,985 | 4,138 | US Senate, House 30 | 4,847 | Governor, US Rep, Sec. of State, State Treasurer, Senate 45, House 89 |
| June 5, 2012 | 6,902 | 5,329 | US Rep, Auditor, House 73 | 1,573 | US Rep |
| June 3, 2014 | 10,885 | 7,582 | Co. Atty., Supervisor, Senate 39, House 73 | 3,303 | Governor, US Senate, US Rep, Senate 39 |
| June 7, 2016 | 8,896 | 8,189 | US Senate, House 77, Supervisor | 707 | House 77 |
| June 5, 2018 * | 18,675 | 17,144 | Governor, Sec. of State, Senate 37, Supervisor | 1,438 | Sec. of Ag. |
| June 2, 2020 |
29,142 |
24,652 (Dem record) |
US Senate, House 85, Supervisor, Sheriff | 4,490 | US Rep |
| June 7, 2022 |
19,214 |
15,321 | US Senate, Sec. of State, Senate 45, House 89 and 90, Supervisor | 3,893 | US Senate, State Auditor, House 91 and 92 |
* The 1986 total includes 410 no party voters who voted in Iowa City and Coralville bond issue elections held with the primary. The no party voters received a ballot that included only the bond issue and no nominating contests. State law has since changed, and ballot issues may no longer be combined with primary elections.
The 1998 total includes 21 voters in the Reform Party primary (contested race: governor).
The 2002 total includes 48 voters in the Green Party primary (no contested races).
The 2018 total includes 82 voters in the Libertarian Party primary (contested race: governor).
Highest Vote Totals for Candidates
The record for highest vote total in a contested race was set in 2020. Democratic sheriff nominee Brad Kunkel won 19,561 votes. The old record was in 2018 by Supervisor Janelle Rettig with 10,826 votes in the Democratic primary.
The candidates receiving the highest vote totals in primaries were all uncontested:
- Democratic: 22,254 for congressional candidate Rita Hart in 2020.
- Republican: Congressman Jim Leach won 5,044 votes in 1994.
- Third Party: Jay Robinson won 43 votes in the 2002 Green Party primary for governor.
Uncontested Primaries
Unlike a city primary, a partisan primary election must be held even if no races are contested. The 2000 and 2004 Republican primaries had no contested races. Most Johnson County Republicans also had a ballot with no contests in 1984, 1992 and 2016 (the only contests those years were in one legislative district).
In 2002, for the first, and so far the only, time in history, there were no contested races on the Johnson County Democratic primary ballot. Every previous Democratic primary in Johnson County, from 1908 through 2000, had at least one contested race.
The Green Party had no contested races in its one primary in 2002.
Most Candidates
The largest field of primary candidates ever was in the 1976 primary election. 15 candidates were simultaneously running in three separate contests for three Board of Supervisors seats:
- Ten Democratic candidates ran for two full-term seats.
- Two Republicans ran for the two full-term seats.
- Three Democrats ran for an unexpired term.
13 of these candidates appeared on the Democratic ballot.
Close Elections
The closest Johnson County primary in recent years was the 1998 contest for the Democratic nomination for county treasurer. Tom Kriz defeated Pam Lenz Nielsen by 28 votes.
Write-In Candidates
To win a nomination as a write-in, a candidate must win 35% of the vote. Two candidates earned enough write-in votes to win Republican nominations in 2020: auditor Travis Weipert and sheriff candidate Brad Kunkel. Both these candidates were on the Democratic primary ballot. Candidates may only accept the nomination of one party; both Weipert and Kunkel declined the Republican nomination and accepted the Democratic nomination instead.
The last candidate in Johnson County actually nominated as a write-in was Bob Vevera, in the 1988 Republican primary for sheriff.
Inconclusive Primaries and Special Nominating Conventions
If no candidate wins 35% in a primary, the primary is inconclusive and the political party must hold a nominating convention. This happened in the Republican race for Secretary of Agriculture in 2018. Appointed incumbent Mike Naig finished in first place in a five way contest, but was short of the required 35%. Naig was later nominated at the Republican state convention and elected in November.
The last inconclusive primary in Johnson County was the 1964 Democratic primary for sheriff. Harold Smith finished first in a six candidate contest, but only won 27% of the vote. Maynard Schneider finished second with 24%. Schneider was nominated at the convention and elected in November.
Parties may also nominate candidates by convention to fill ballot vacancies. Johnson County Republicans nominated two area legislative candidates by convention in 2022. The Libertarian and Republican parties nominated several statewide candidates at their 2018 state conventions.
Lieutenant Governor
Through the 1986 election cycle, candidates for lieutenant governor were nominated in the primary and elected, independent of the election for governor, in the general election. It was thus possible for the governor and lieutenant governor to be from different parties. This happened in 1986, when Republican Terry Branstad was re-elected governor and Democrat JoAnn Zimmerman was elected lieutenant governor.
In 1988, Iowa voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring the governor and lieutenant governor to run as a team. The amendment took effect beginning with the 1990 elections. Candidates for lieutenant governor no longer appear on the primary ballot, and are instead nominated by state party conventions after the primary. So far, all such conventions have confirmed the gubernatorial candidate's chosen running mate.
Candidates for governor are not required to name running mates before the primary, and even if they do, the name of the running mate does not appear on the ballot.
In 1990, incumbent Lt. Governor Zimmerman initially filed to run for governor, but withdrew from the race after the withdrawal deadline, endorsed House Speaker Don Avenson, and agreed to be his running mate. Avenson then won the primary (in which Zimmerman's name still appeared on the ballot). Thus Zimmerman ran for re-election, on a ticket with Avenson, against incumbent Governor Branstad's ticket.
Prior to the 2006 primary, three candidates - Republican nominee Jim Nussle, Democratic nominee Chet Culver, and unsuccessful Democratic candidate Mike Blouin - each named running mates. It was the first time any non-incumbent candidates for governor had named running mates before the primary since the Avenson-Zimmerman ticket of 1990. Two other Democratic candidates, Ed Fallon and Sal Mohamed, did not name running mates. No candidates for governor have named running mates before the primary since 2006.