Who is running for Iowa Senate, District 23 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Iowa Senate, District 23 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Iowa Senate District 23.
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 | Wes EnosRepublican | Tony ThompsonDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | Get rid of it; let employers and workers agree on payQuestionnaire answer · medium | No public position |
| Healthcare | Mostly private market; roll back the government's roleQuestionnaire answer · low | No public position |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestQuestionnaire answer · medium | No public position |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightQuestionnaire answer · medium | No public position |
| Energy and climate | All of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickQuestionnaire answer · medium | No public position |
| Curriculum and books | Parents, including the right to remove material they object toQuestionnaire answer · low | No public position |
| Gender care for minors | No, ban these treatments for minorsQuestionnaire answer · medium | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsQuestionnaire answer · medium | No public position |
Wes Enos
RepublicanDeputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn; former Bondurant city councilman
Wes Enos is the Republican candidate for Iowa Senate District 23; he is listed for that seat on the Iowa Secretary of State candidate list updated August 19, 2026 and on the Polk County Auditor candidate list13. In the June 2026 Republican primary he lost to Sen. Mike Bousselot, 65 percent to 35 percent, according to unofficial results2. He is deputy chief of staff to Rep. Zach Nunn, and his campaign site lists service as a Bondurant city councilman and mayor pro tem24.
Where they stand 9 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Answered that an elective abortion should be allowed when the life of the mother is endangered or in the case of a miscarriage or non-viable pregnancy, and strongly agreed that human life deserves legal protection from conception. (2026) source
Minimum wageGet rid of it; let employers and workers agree on paymedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Said he favors eliminating the minimum wage standard entirely. (2026) source
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Answered "None" when asked what restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety. (2026) source
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Strongly agreed that attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse. (2026) source
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Strongly agreed that biological males should not take part in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces. (2026) source
Energy and climateAll of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- Said there is no single answer and Iowa needs an "all of the above" energy strategy. (2026) source
Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tolow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- Strongly agreed that government should recognize the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being. (2026) source
HealthcareMostly private market; roll back the government's rolelow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- Said Medicare should exist for seniors and Medicaid for those who prove need, and otherwise healthcare should be a market-driven system with open competition and limited government involvement. (2026) source
Election rulesNo single answer fitslow
Questionnaire answer · low confidence- Strongly disagreed that people should be able to vote without photo identification. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Immigration, School choice, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, 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, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Tony Thompson
DemocratFarmer and small business owner (New Family Farm, Prudent Produce)
Tony Thompson is the Democratic nominee for Iowa Senate District 23 and was unopposed in the June 2026 Democratic primary124. He is a fourth generation farmer near Elkhart who worked with Habitat for Humanity, holds a graduate degree, and helped grow a local food market through an online food hub based on his farm3. The Register lists him as a small business owner (Prudent Produce) and farmer (New Family Farm)4.
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.