Abby Finkenauer finished second in the primary.
Candidates Nominee •
Michael Franken, retired
U.S. Navy admiral, former aide to U.S. Senator
Ted Kennedy, and candidate for U.S. Senate in
2020 Eliminated in primary •
Abby Finkenauer, former U.S. representative for (2019–2021)
Withdrew •
Bob Krause, former
state representative (endorsed Franken) • Dave Muhlbauer, former
Crawford County supervisor (2017–2021)
(endorsed Franken) Declined •
Cindy Axne, U.S. representative for (2019–2023)
(ran for re-election; endorsed Finkenauer) •
Rob Sand,
Iowa State Auditor (2019–present)
(ran for reelection) •
J. D. Scholten, former paralegal, former professional baseball player and nominee for in
2018 and
2020 (ran for state house) Campaign Former U.S. Representative
Abby Finkenauer was the original frontrunner in the Democratic primary, with her campaign being backed by several prominent politicians and labor unions, as well as the influential
political action committee EMILY's List. However, in an upset, retired vice-admiral
Michael Franken managed to slowly overtake her as the perceived frontrunner, assisted by an effective campaign that highlighted his leadership credentials.
Fundraising Endorsements Polling Graphical summary Results ==General election==