Who is running for State House District 56 in Iowa in 2026?

Mark I. Thompson (R), Kyle Kruse (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 56

State House District 56 — 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

AMark I. ThompsonRepublican

Incumbent state representative; Republican, District 56.

LifeAFamilyAReligious libertyB2nd AmendmentALimited gov’tAFiscalA

Decisive evidence: Iowa House Journal roll calls (HF732 Y, SF538 Y, SF496 Y, SF418 Y, HF68 Y, SF2442 Y, HF856 Y); NRA-PVF A (endorsed); AFP-Iowa endorsement; iVoterGuide 'Conservative'.

Life: Voted yes on HF 732, Iowa's 2023 fetal-heartbeat abortion law.
Family: Voted yes on SF 538 (2023 ban on gender-transition procedures for minors); voted yes on SF 496 (2023 parental rights/curriculum); 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: Voted yes on HF 68, the 2023 Students First school-choice accounts law, and is endorsed by AFP-Iowa in 2026.
Fiscal: Voted yes on SF 2442 (2024 3.8% flat income tax).

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

Ballotpedia

DKyle KruseDemocratic

Candidate for State Representative, District 56 (Democratic).

LifeDFamilyDReligious libertyC2nd AmendmentFLimited gov’tDFiscalD

Decisive evidence: NRA-PVF F; 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 F 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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