Republican State Rep. Skyler Wheeler won reelection Tuesday in Iowa House District 4, defeating independent challenger Garth Van Donselaar in the district covering Lyon County and part of Sioux County.
Unofficial results show Wheeler received 10,849 votes, or 82.83%, while Van Donselaar received 2,194 votes, or 16.75%. Another 55 votes were cast for write-in candidates. All 19 precincts in the district reported results.
Speaking with Sioux County Radio after the election, Wheeler thanked voters for their support.
Wheeler said he was impressed with turnout in Lyon and Sioux counties. He noted that much of his campaign work involves helping Republican colleagues in competitive districts across Iowa as the party works to maintain its legislative majority.
He also said he appreciates the difficulty of putting one’s name on the ballot and Van Donselaar’s willingness to run. Wheeler said Van Donselaar, like other constituents, is welcome to share concerns and suggestions with him.
Talking about his election loss, Garth Van Donselaar mentions his lightweight campaign compared to other Iowa candidates.
Despite losing, Van Donselaar believes this was a positive experience and a step in the right direction.
Wheeler’s strongest percentage came in Lyon County, where he received 4,368 votes, or 86.48%. Van Donselaar received 666 votes there. In the portion of Sioux County within the district, Wheeler received 6,481 votes, or 80.54%, to Van Donselaar’s 1,528.
In Lyon County, Wheeler’s percentage exceeded those of Republican candidates in the contested statewide and congressional races. His actual vote total was close to several other Republicans: identical to Attorney General Brenna Bird’s (who lost her reelection bid statewide to Democratic Candidate Nate Willems), 24 votes above congressional candidate Chris McGowan’s, and 95 below Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig’s.
Participation differed among those contests. Lyon County recorded 5,051 valid votes in the Wheeler–Van Donselaar race, compared with 5,414 in the governor’s race and 5,401 in the U.S. Senate race.
Across House District 4, the state’s election-night summary listed 14,033 ballots and 13,098 valid votes in the legislative contest. That leaves 935 ballots, or 6.66%, without a recorded valid vote in the race. Those totals do not establish whether individual voters skipped the contest or cast an invalid vote.
Comparisons in Sioux County require additional caution because Wheeler’s district includes only part of the county, while statewide and congressional candidates appeared on ballots countywide.
Beyond his own victory, Wheeler attributed Republican setbacks primarily to national issues. He said congressional Republicans failed to deliver on the mandate voters gave President Donald Trump two years earlier.
Wheeler singled out South Dakota Republican John Thune, the U.S. Senate majority leader.
Wheeler said he believes economic concerns shaped voters’ decisions, pointing to tariffs, gas prices, and the war with Iran.
Asked about working with Democratic Governor-elect Rob Sand, Wheeler said he intends to defend policies enacted by Republicans and oppose efforts to raise taxes.
Wheeler continued his criticism in a social media post Wednesday, November 4, describing Democratic gains as a “Blue Tsunami of insane proportions.” He praised Ron DeSantis’ leadership in Florida and urged Republicans to support DeSantis for president in 2028. DeSantis, Florida’s Governor, couldn’t run for reelection due to state constitutional term limits.
He also referred to Democrats as “commies,” writing: “Buckle up, the commies have a lot of control, and commies don’t give up control easily.”
The post included a screenshot of DeSantis warning that potential Democratic gains in the U.S. Senate could hinder Republicans’ ability to confirm future Supreme Court nominees.
Election results remain unofficial until canvassed.
