Lindsay James secured the IA-02 House seat in the November 3, 2026, general election after Republican incumbent Ashley Hinson pursued a Senate bid, leaving an open district. James, a Democratic state representative, captured roughly 49.5 percent of the vote against Republican Joe Mitchell’s 45.5 percent, with minor-party candidates splitting the balance, according to near-complete county reporting. The result flipped the northeastern Iowa district, which had leaned Republican in recent cycles, amid broader Democratic gains in the state’s congressional races. Traders priced the outcome at 100 percent for James once vote tallies confirmed the margin, consistent with the absence of recounts or unresolved legal challenges in the immediate post-election window.