Who is running for State House District 48 in Iowa in 2026?

Chad Behn (R), Benjamin Olsen (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 48

State House District 48 — 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

BChad BehnRepublican

Incumbent state representative; Republican, District 48.

LifeBFamilyAReligious libertyB2nd AmendmentALimited gov’tBFiscalB

Decisive evidence: Iowa House Journal roll calls (SF418 Y, HF856 Y); NRA-PVF A (endorsed); AFP-Iowa endorsement; iVoterGuide 'Conservative'.

Life: No direct pro-life vote or questionnaire found; Republican candidate rated Conservative by iVoterGuide.
Family: Voted yes on SF 418 (2025 removing gender identity from the Civil Rights Act).
Religious liberty: No specific religious-liberty record found; rated Conservative by iVoterGuide, whose evaluation includes religious-liberty issues.
2nd Amendment: Rated A by NRA-PVF for 2026 and NRA-endorsed.
Limited gov’t: Endorsed by Americans for Prosperity-Iowa in 2026, which backs school choice and limited government; no school-choice vote on record.
Fiscal: Endorsed by Americans for Prosperity-Iowa in 2026, which backs lower taxes and spending restraint; no tax votes on record.

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

Ballotpedia

DBenjamin OlsenDemocratic

Candidate for State Representative, District 48 (Democratic).

LifeDFamilyDReligious libertyC2nd AmendmentCLimited gov’tDFiscalD

Decisive evidence: NRA-PVF C; iVoterGuide 'Liberal'.

Life: No explicit pro-life positions found; running as Democrat suggests pro-choice alignment.
Family: No explicit family-policy positions found; running as Democrat suggests opposition to conservative family and parental-rights positions.
Religious liberty: No specific religious-liberty record found.
2nd Amendment: Rated C by NRA-PVF for 2026.
Limited gov’t: No limited-government positions found; running as Democrat suggests support for expanded government programs.
Fiscal: No fiscal-conservative positions found; running as Democrat suggests support for higher spending.

Sources: [1] [2]

Ballotpedia

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