The Ballot Brief
Dallas County, Iowa

Iowa House District 23

2 candidates are tracked for Iowa House District 23 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Ray Bubba Sorensen and Karen Varley. Candidate information follows official Dallas County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Ray Bubba Sorensen (Republican), Karen Varley (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Iowa House District 23; Ray Bubba Sorensen is the sitting member, per the legis.iowa.gov legislator roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the June 2 primary; No Party candidates qualify by nominating petition. The field is the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list, as read September 11, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Ray Bubba Sorensen, is on the ballot.

Iowa › Dallas County › Iowa House District 23

Ray Bubba Sorensen

Ray Bubba Sorensen

Republican Incumbent

Top priorities
  • Expanding rural broadband access
  • Supporting childcare access and affordability and workforce development
  • Supporting veterans

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Ray Bubba Sorensen is the sitting Iowa House Representative for District 23, a small business owner and Freedom Rock artist, per his campaign site. He chairs the House Economic Growth committee, per his campaign site.

Karen Varley

Democratic

Biography

Karen Varley is an attorney at Varley Law Office in Stuart who holds a bachelor's degree in agronomy from Iowa State University, a master's in plant breeding from Cornell and a law degree from Drake University, according to the Des Moines Register. She previously ran against Rep. Ray Sorensen in 2024. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's certified candidate list is the only verifiable source for Karen Varley.

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Iowa House District 23 in 2026?

2 candidates are tracked for Iowa House District 23 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Ray Bubba Sorensen and Karen Varley. Candidate information follows official Dallas County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Iowa House District 23 election in Iowa?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Iowa are on the Iowa election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Dallas County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Dallas County and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Iowa election office, or see the full Dallas County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Dallas County ballot

16 tracked races in Dallas County, Iowa. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Iowa House District 28Iowa House District 31Iowa House District 46See all 16 Dallas County races
Candidate profiles
Ray Bubba Sorensen, full profileKaren Varley, full profileOfficial Iowa election office