Who is running for State House District 51 in Iowa in 2026?

Brett Barker (R), Teresa Perin (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 51

State House District 51 — 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.

See this race on your own ballot — with your county races and local referendums.
Build my ballot →
 Download the iPhone app

Candidates

BBrett BarkerRepublican

Incumbent state representative; Republican, District 51.

LifeAFamilyAReligious libertyB2nd AmendmentALimited gov’tBFiscalB

Decisive evidence: Iowa House Journal roll calls (SF418 Y, HF856 Y); Iowa Right to Life 2026 A+ questionnaire list; NRA-PVF A (endorsed); AFP-Iowa endorsement; iVoterGuide 'Conservative'.

Life: Answered yes to all three pro-life questions on Iowa Right to Life's 2026 questionnaire (A+ list; IRTL notes this is not an endorsement).
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

DTeresa PerinDemocratic

Candidate for State Representative, District 51 (Democratic).

LifeFFamilyDReligious libertyC2nd AmendmentFLimited gov’tDFiscalD

Decisive evidence: Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa PAC 2026 endorsement; Moms Demand Gun Sense Candidate; iVoterGuide 'Liberal'.

Life: Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa PAC in 2026.
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: Designated a 2026 Gun Sense Candidate by Moms Demand Action/Everytown.
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] [3] [4]

Ballotpedia

More Iowa 2026 races