Who is running for Iowa House, District 21 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Iowa House, District 21 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Iowa House District 21.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Brooke BodenRepublican | Spencer A WaughDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestVoted · medium | No public position |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightVoted · medium | No public position |
| Immigration | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadyVoted · medium | No public position |
| School choice | Yes, universal school choice for every familyVoted · medium | No public position |
| Gender care for minors | No, ban these treatments for minorsVoted · medium | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsVoted · medium | No public position |
| DEI programs | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsVoted · high | No public position |
Brooke Boden
Republican · IncumbentIowa state representative, District 21
Brooke Boden is the Republican state representative for Iowa House District 21 and has served since 2021; she chairs the House Local Government Committee1. She describes herself as a lifelong Warren County resident, small business owner, licensed insurance agent and FAA-certified repairman2. She faces Democrat Spencer A Waugh on the November 3, 2026 ballot3.
Where they stand 8 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionshigh
Voted · high confidence- Her campaign website says she prohibited Iowa's regent universities from spending on diversity, equity and inclusion offices. (2026) source
- Voted yes on HF 856 (2025), which bars state and local government entities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion offices or officers; the House passed it 61 to 37. (2025-03-18) source
- Voted yes when the House passed HF 856 again, 59 to 32, after the Senate amended it. (2025-05-13) source
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HF 68 (2023), the Students First Act creating education savings accounts; it passed the House 55 to 45. (2023-01-23) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HF 732 (2023 special session), which bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, with listed exceptions; it passed the House 56 to 34. (2023-07-11) source
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SF 538 (2023), which bans gender transition procedures for minors with some exceptions; it passed the House 58 to 39. (2023-03-08) source
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SF 2340 (2024), which makes illegal reentry into Iowa by certain noncitizens a state crime; it passed the House 64 to 30. (2024-03-19) source
- Her campaign website lists giving Iowa law enforcement $2 million of new money to protect Iowans from illegal immigration and related crimes among her accomplishments. (2026) source
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HF 756 (2021), a weapons bill that, among other changes, struck the current penalty for carrying dangerous weapons and said that the availability of a permit to carry does not prohibit unlicensed carrying; it passed the House 60 to 37. (2021-03-17) source
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HF 2416 (2022), which requires school sports teams to be designated by sex at birth and limits girls' teams to female students; it passed the House 55 to 39. (2022-02-21) source
Curriculum and booksNo single answer fitslow
Official action · low confidence- Is a listed sponsor of HF 8 (2023), a bill that prohibits instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through grade three. (2023-01-11) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Energy and climate, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools, China policy.
Spencer A Waugh
DemocratAssociate dean, Simpson College
Spencer A Waugh is the Democratic nominee for Iowa House District 21 on the November 3, 2026 ballot2. He is an associate dean at Simpson College, where he directed the speech, debate and mock trial program, and he began teaching high school in Indianola in 19981.
Where they stand 1 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Minimum wageNo single answer fitslow
Said · low confidence- His campaign website says he supports policies to raise the minimum wage to a livable level. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.