Democratic U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell secured a seventh term today with a double-digit percentage point victory over a politically savvy but lesser-known Republican challenger from Clive.
Boswell defeated Kim Schmett, a lawyer with Capitol Hill experience and former head of Iowa's workforce training agency. With 91 percent of precincts reporting, Boswell had 57 percent to Schmett's 42 percent.
The campaign pitted six-term incumbent Boswell against a relatively unknown Republican in Iowa's third congressional district. The district, which includes Polk and 11 other south- and east-central counties, has seen the number of Democratic voter registrations grow since 2006.
Boswell touted his support for ethanol and other energy alternatives as he campaigned for re-election.
“Every American deserves access to affordable, quality healthcare.”