Voters still questioning the scale of Tuesday’s “blue wave” midterm elections should look to Iowa, where a Democratic candidate who suspended his campaign nearly two months ago swept to victory over his Republican challenger.
Democrat Eric Armstrong on Thursday said he was “proud to announce that we won Iowa House District 20,” adding that voters “sent a clear message about the direction they want for Iowa, and I will make sure that message is carried to the Capitol in January.”
“Thousands of conversations over many months, as we watched our nation change together, gave me a real understanding of the challenges facing Carter Lake and Council Bluffs,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Along the way, I came to care about this community that only personal connections and friendships can make possible.”
He went on to note: “Thank you to every voter who placed their confidence in this campaign. I will continue to do my best and be open and upfront about what comes next.”
A retired railroad executive, Armstrong won with about 55% of the vote ― or about 9 percentage points ― over his GOP opponent, former police lieutenant Keith Jones, who secured about 45%.
Watch a brief clip of Eric Armstrong discussing his campaign with Iowa-based outlet The Daily Nonpareil.
To those familiar with the race, the victory came as a bit of a surprise, given that Armstrong had formally suspended his campaign Sept. 7, citing “some personal health issues that require my full attention and immediate care.”
“Because I must prioritize my health and recovery at this time, I am stepping down from my campaign, effective immediately,” he wrote on Facebook. “This was a deeply difficult choice. However, I know it is the right one.”
Armstrong, however, remained on the ballot, and in a phone interview with The New York Times Wednesday, he pledged to do his best to represent his district.
“But I still have health issues, that’s what I’m struggling with,” he acknowledged.
Responding to news of Armstrong’s victory, Jones raised doubts about his opponent’s illness claims, telling Fox News: “I think we deserve to know more.”
“There’s absolutely something there that needs to be investigated by the media,” he said. “Did he lie about being sick to cover a damaging personal story? Public trust at that level is important.”
Tuesday’s midterm elections have been widely interpreted as a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s second term.
In addition to Armstrong’s win, Iowa voters chose Democrat Rob Sand as their state’s next governor, flipping a seat currently held by Republican Kim Reynolds. Similarly, Iowa Democrat Josh Turek helped his party regain a Senate majority by flipping Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat.