1984 United States presidential election in Iowa
1984 United States presidential election in Iowa
The election took place on November 6, 1984. Iowa voters chose eight electors for the Electoral College.
Ronald Reagan, the Republican incumbent from California, defeated Walter Mondale, the Democrat from Minnesota. Reagan received 703,088 votes (53.27%), Mondale received 605,620 votes (45.89%). Reagan won all eight of Iowa’s electoral votes.
Most counties backed Reagan, but Mondale carried Polk County (Des Moines), a key population center that helped narrow the win. Iowa’s result was about 11 points more Democratic than the national average.
As of 2024, this is the last time Black Hawk County (Waterloo), Linn County (Cedar Rapids), and Story County (Ames) voted for a Republican president. Iowa would not vote Republican again until 2004.
A Democratic presidential debate was held in Des Moines on February 11, 1984, with Mondale and other candidates. Terry Branstad was the chair of Reagan’s Iowa campaign.
Reagan carried five of Iowa’s six congressional districts, including one held by a Democrat.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:35 (CET).