Who is running for State House District 96 in Iowa in 2026?

Mark Cisneros (R), Nick Salazar (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 96

State House District 96 — 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

BMark CisnerosRepublican

Incumbent state representative (Republican), District 96; in the Iowa House since 2021.

LifeFFamilyAReligious libertyB2nd AmendmentALimited gov’tAFiscalA

Voted no on HF 732 (heartbeat law) while voting yes on HF 68 (school choice), HF 756 (permitless carry), SF 538 and both flat-tax bills; NRA A and endorsed; AFP-Iowa endorsed.

Life: Voted no on HF 732 (2023), the fetal-heartbeat abortion law.
Family: Voted yes on SF 538, SF 496, HF 2416 (girls' sports) and SF 418.
Religious liberty: No religious-liberty-specific votes or ratings found; conservative voting record and ratings suggest support.
2nd Amendment: NRA-PVF grade A and endorsed for 2026; voted yes on HF 756 (2021 permitless carry); IFC scorecard vote index 95.4%.
Limited gov’t: Voted yes on HF 68 (2023 school-choice accounts); absent for HF 856 (DEI ban); endorsed by AFP-Iowa in 2026.
Fiscal: Voted yes on both flat income tax bills, HF 2317 (2022) and SF 2442 (2024); endorsed by AFP-Iowa.

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

Ballotpedia

DNick SalazarDemocratic

Candidate for State Representative, District 96 (Democratic).

LifeDFamilyDReligious libertyC2nd AmendmentCLimited gov’tDFiscalD

iVoterGuide rates the candidate 'Liberal'; no voting record or issue-group positions found, so values are inferred from the Democratic party platform.

Life: No explicit pro-life positions found; running as Democrat suggests pro-choice alignment.
Family: No explicit positions found on marriage, parental rights or gender policy; Democratic platform suggests opposition to these conservative positions.
Religious liberty: No position found on religious liberty.
2nd Amendment: No position or rating found on gun rights.
Limited gov’t: No explicit positions found; Democratic platform generally favors expanded government programs and opposes private school choice.
Fiscal: No explicit positions found; Democratic platform generally favors higher spending and opposed Iowa's flat-tax legislation.

Sources: [1]

Ballotpedia

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