1986Final results
1986 election for Iowa's 1st District
U.S. House · Iowa
James Leach (R) won with 66.4% of the vote, defeating John R. Whitaker (D) by 32.8 points.
James LeachRepublican · winner
66.4%86,834
John R. WhitakerDemocrat
33.6%43,985
130,825 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1986
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
John R. WhitakerJames Leach
$23.5K
Raised by the campaign
$229.6K
$23.5K
Spent by the campaign
$231.9K
$5
Cash on hand
$31.4K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1986.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1986