Iowa Democrat wins House race despite withdrawing for health reasons

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 19:38 · Archive

Democrat Eric Armstrong won an Iowa House seat despite dropping out in September citing health issues.

Democrat Eric Armstrong defeated Republican Keith Jones in Iowa's 20th House District race on Tuesday, winning by roughly nine percentage points according to the Associated Press, despite having withdrawn from the race in September.

Armstrong announced his withdrawal on 7 September via his campaign's Facebook page, stating he must prioritise his health and recovery and that the district deserved a representative who could give full energy to the race. He did not specify the nature of his health issues, only referring to 'personal health issues' and 'personal health struggles'.

Despite his withdrawal, Armstrong's name remained on the ballot. Unofficial results showed he received 4,602 votes to Jones's 3,737. When contacted by the New York Times on Wednesday, Armstrong said he would 'do my best' to represent the district but acknowledged 'I still have health issues. That's what I'm struggling with'. Jones, a member of the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors, told Fox News Digital that as a public figure Armstrong should disclose what his ailment was, questioning whether he was healthy enough for the demanding role of state representative, which involves 14-hour days away from home.

How it is being reported

• Democrat who quit race two months before election beat Republican opponent by nine points despite mystery illness: 'Clear message'An Iowa Democrat who abandoned his campaign nearly two months before Election Day won anyway - as Iowa trickled to blue.Daily Mail · 5 Nov, 23:14
• Democrat drops out of race due to health concerns and still wins, opponent says 'we deserve to know more'Democratic Iowa state House candidate Eric Armstrong, who announced in September that he was dropping his campaign due to health struggles, still won the election contest.Fox News · 5 Nov, 18:19
• Iowa Democrat Eric Armstrong wins state House race despite dropping out in SeptemberDemocrat Eric Armstrong defeated Republican Keith Jones in an Iowa House race by 9 points despite dropping out in September for health reasons.New York Post · 5 Nov, 11:41

In this story: Eric Armstrong · Keith Jones · Iowa · Josh Turek · Ashley Hinson

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log