1990Final results
1990 election for Iowa's 5th District
U.S. House · Iowa
James Lightfoot (R) won with 68.0% of the vote, defeating Rod Powell (D) by 36.0 points.
James LightfootRepublican · winner
68.0%99,978
Rod PowellDemocrat
32.0%47,022
147,012 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 1990
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.
Rod PowellJames Lightfoot
$67.6K
Raised by the campaign
$497.4K
$63.7K
Spent by the campaign
$418.1K
$3.9K
Cash on hand
$140.8K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1990.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1990