Iowa general election: November 3, 2026

Who is running for District 5C Judge Retention: Christopher Kemp in 2026?

Here are the candidates for District 5C Judge Retention: Christopher Kemp on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Judicial Election District 5C.

This is a retention vote: voters decide yes or no on keeping this judge for another term. Judges may not promise how they would rule, so we show experience and record instead of issue positions.

Christopher Kemp

· Incumbent

District Court Judge, Judicial Election District 5C (Polk County)

Christopher Kemp serves as District Court Judge, Judicial Election District 5C (Polk County). Christopher Kemp is up for a retention vote on November 3, 2026: voters decide yes or no on keeping the judge in office, and the judge serves another term if a majority votes yes¹³. The Iowa Judicial Branch says the judge was appointed as a District Judge in January 2024, after serving as a District Associate Judge since July 2019².

District Court Judge, District 5C (Polk County), appointed January 2024²
District Associate Judge, District 5C, from July 2019 until his appointment as District Judge²
Carleton College (political science), 2006; Drake University Law School, 2009²
Appointed to the District Court bench by Governor Kim Reynolds; her office announced the appointment on January 12, 2024⁴. The Iowa Judicial Branch says this judge was appointed as a District Judge in January 2024, after serving as a District Associate Judge since July 2019². Iowa district judges and district associate judges are chosen by the governor from two names sent by a district judicial nominating commission, and then stand in retention elections³.

Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.