Who is running for State House District 23 in Iowa in 2026?

Ray Bubba Sorensen (R), Karen Varley (D)

When is the Iowa 2026 general election?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Iowa › Races › State House District 23

State House District 23 — Iowa 2026

2 candidates on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot (official Iowa Secretary of State list, as of October 29, 2026). Grades reflect each candidate's public record on life, family, religious liberty, the Second Amendment, limited government and fiscal responsibility.

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Candidates

ARay Bubba SorensenRepublican

Incumbent state representative for District 23; Republican.

LifeAFamilyAReligious libertyB2nd AmendmentALimited gov’tAFiscalA

Iowa Journal roll calls: Yes on HF 2317, HF 2416, HF 68, HF 732, HF 756, HF 856, SF 2442, SF 418, SF 496, SF 538. Ratings: NRA-PVF A+ (endorsed), AFP-Iowa endorsement, iVoterGuide "Conservative".

Life: Voted Yes on HF 732 (2023), Iowa's six-week fetal heartbeat abortion law.
Family: Voted Yes on SF 538 (2023 ban on gender-transition procedures for minors), SF 496 (2023 parental rights/curriculum), HF 2416 (2022 girls' sports) and SF 418 (2025 removing gender identity from the Civil Rights Act).
Religious liberty: No direct religious-liberty vote or statement captured; iVoterGuide rates the candidate "Conservative".
2nd Amendment: Rated A+ by NRA-PVF for 2026 and NRA-endorsed; voted Yes on HF 756 (2021 permitless carry); Iowa Firearms Coalition scorecard vote index 100.0%, total 113.
Limited gov’t: Voted Yes on HF 68 (2023 school-choice accounts) and Yes on HF 856 (2025 DEI ban); endorsed by AFP-Iowa in 2026.
Fiscal: Voted Yes on HF 2317 (2022 flat income tax) and SF 2442 (2024 3.8% flat income tax); endorsed by AFP-Iowa.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Ballotpedia

DKaren VarleyDemocratic

Candidate for State Representative, District 23 (Democratic).

LifeDFamilyDReligious libertyC2nd AmendmentCLimited gov’tDFiscalD

Ratings: NRA-PVF ?, iVoterGuide "Liberal". Little candidate-specific evidence; most grades rest on party-platform inference.

Life: No explicit pro-life positions found; running as Democrat suggests pro-choice alignment.
Family: No explicit positions found; running as Democrat suggests opposition to Iowa's parental-rights and gender-identity restrictions.
Religious liberty: No direct religious-liberty vote or statement found.
2nd Amendment: No NRA-PVF rating or firearms record found.
Limited gov’t: No explicit positions found; running as Democrat suggests opposition to Iowa's school-choice accounts and preference for broader government programs.
Fiscal: No explicit fiscal positions found; running as Democrat suggests support for higher spending.

Sources: [1] [2]

Ballotpedia

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