Iowa general election: November 3, 2026

Who is running for Iowa House, District 36 in 2026?

Here are the candidates for Iowa House, District 36 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Iowa House District 36.

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	Austin BaethDemocrat	Bruce A MichalowskiRepublican
Minimum wage	Raise it to around $15Said · medium	No public position
Abortion	Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Said · high	No public position
School choice	No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsSaid · high	No public position
Marijuana	Legalize it and clear past convictionsSaid · high	No public position
Mandatory minimums	Keep them, with narrow relief for low-level, nonviolent offendersSaid · medium	No public position
Paid leave	Create a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick daysOfficial action · medium	No public position

Austin Baeth

Democrat · Incumbent

State Representative, Iowa House District 36

Austin Baeth is the Democratic incumbent in Iowa House District 36¹, serving his second term in the 90th and 91st General Assemblies²³. He is a physician and was unopposed in the June 2026 Democratic primary³.

Where they stand 6 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolshigh
Said · high confidence
- Said private school vouchers are exacerbating inequities and bankrupting the state, and that the vouchers must be phased out. (2026-04) source
- Cosponsored H.F. 2737, which limits education savings accounts by income and sets a future repeal date. (2026) source
- Voted no on H.F. 68, which created universal education savings accounts (55 to 45). (2023-01-23) source
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)high
Said · high confidence
- His 2022 campaign site says he supports Roe v. Wade and would oppose legislative efforts to undermine reproductive freedom. (2022) source
- Cosponsored H.J.R. 9 (2023), the earlier version of the state constitutional amendment protecting reproductive freedom, with a viability limit and a life and health exception. (2023) source
- Cosponsored H.J.R. 10, a state constitutional amendment protecting reproductive freedom, with a viability limit and a life and health exception. (2025) source
- Cosponsored H.F. 2455, which would repeal the 2023 heartbeat abortion law. (2026-02) source
MarijuanaLegalize it and clear past convictionshigh
Said · high confidence
- His 2022 campaign site says Iowa should legalize marijuana, overturn and expunge prior marijuana offenses and free those jailed for possession or sale. (2022) source
- Cosponsored H.F. 442 (2023), which legalizes and licenses retail marijuana and expunges marijuana convictions. (2023) source
Minimum wageRaise it to around $15medium
Said · medium confidence
- His 2022 campaign site says Iowa should raise the minimum wage in stages to $15 an hour and then index it to inflation. (2022) source
Mandatory minimumsKeep them, with narrow relief for low-level, nonviolent offendersmedium
Said · medium confidence
- His 2022 campaign site says Iowa should eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for nonviolent crimes. (2022) source
Paid leaveCreate a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick daysmedium
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored H.F. 2631, a state family and medical leave insurance program with 12 weeks of paid, job-protected leave. (2026) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.

Bruce A Michalowski

Republican

Candidate (no biography found)

Bruce Michalowski is the Republican candidate for Iowa House District 36 on the Iowa Secretary of State list, with a filing date of August 13, 2026¹. The Des Moines Register's April 2026 questionnaire for the district covered only the Democratic incumbent, who was unopposed in the primary². No biography, campaign site or questionnaire from him was found.

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, 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.