On moving the race in to toss up territory, Inside Elections said, “It could be a great November for the Democrats in The Hawkeye State. The party could pick up 2-3 House seats and defeat the governor. Iowa went significantly for Trump in 2016, but looks like swinging back to competitive.”
“Governor Reynolds started with incredible advantages in this race. She should be the favorite right now, but her abysmal record as Governor, including several self-inflicted crises with real consequences for Iowa families, has dragged her campaign down. On the other hand, Fred Hubbell and Rita Hart have mounted a formidable campaign, driven by and for the people of Iowa, that promises to return strong, steady leadership to Terrace Hill. The choice is easy, and we’re confident Iowans will vote blue up and down the ticket this November,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price.
In June, both the Cook Political Report and Governing.com moved the race from lean Republican to toss up, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball upgraded the race to a toss up in July.
In early September, Politico’s race ratings put the Iowa governor’s race as a toss up, and on Monday, even Fox News knew Kim Reynolds was in trouble when they also downgraded her re-election chances to a toss up.
NBC News has also named the race as one of the “top 10 pick up gubernatorial races that could switch parties.”