Iowa House District 76 Candidate, Calvin Horn
Candidate Website: https://www.calvinhornforhd76.com/Â
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General Election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Calvin Horn is running to represent Iowa House District 76, a seat that stretches across rural Black Hawk, Benton, and Tama counties and includes the community of Elk Run Heights, where he lives. He's built his campaign around a straightforward vision: policy grounded in evidence, environmental stewardship, and fiscal responsibility.
Calvin has framed his campaign as one focused on advancing Iowa through science, equality, and responsibility — a platform built on the idea that good governance starts with evidence-based policy rather than ideology. He's emphasized that his campaign is about building a stronger future through environmental protection, fiscal discipline, and a commitment to quality public education for every Iowan.
As a Democrat running in a rural, traditionally Republican-held district, Calvin has focused heavily on local control, arguing that state lawmakers have spent recent years stripping power away from local community governments with one-size-fits-all mandates from Des Moines. Restoring that local decision-making authority is central to his campaign.
Calvin's campaign has emphasized public accountability for public dollars, arguing that any entity receiving taxpayer money — from schools to voucher programs — should have to answer to the public for how that money gets spent.
Fun facts: House District 76 includes the communities of Traer, Dysart, and Buckingham in Tama County as well as Hudson, La Porte City, Gilbertville, Evansdale, and southern Cedar Falls in Black Hawk County — one of the more geographically spread-out districts in the Cedar Valley region.
Calvin Horn has built his campaign for House District 76 around four core commitments, each grounded in his belief that policy should follow evidence rather than ideology.
Equal rights. Calvin has committed to fighting for equal opportunities for all Iowans, framing his campaign around the belief that dignity belongs to everyone and that every voice in the district deserves to be heard.
Environmental stewardship. Calvin has pledged to preserve Iowa's natural landscapes and invest in sustainable energy, framing environmental protection — safeguarding the district's water, air, and soil — as an investment in future generations.
Fiscal responsibility. Calvin supports transparent, accountable government spending, with a focus on prioritizing education and infrastructure funding while maintaining a balanced, sustainable state budget.
Science and education. A central pillar of Calvin's campaign is his belief that policy should be based on evidence. He supports full and appropriate funding for public education, arguing that schools should teach children how to think critically rather than what to think.
Local control and accountability. Calvin has also emphasized restoring power to local governments after years of state mandates limiting their authority and has called for full public accountability whenever taxpayer money — including money spent on private school voucher programs — flows out of the public system.
House District 76 is a rural, traditionally Republican-leaning seat spanning parts of Black Hawk, Benton, and Tama counties — which makes Calvin Horn's campaign an important test case for how far Black Hawk County Democrats' rural organizing can reach in 2026.
A genuine contest in traditionally red territory. House District 76 has been held by Republicans in recent cycles, and Calvin's willingness to run there gives Black Hawk County Democrats a presence and a message in a part of the county that doesn't always see competitive Democratic campaigns.
An unusually fluid race. The seat's Republican incumbent, Derek Wulf, was tapped in June 2026 to run as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor alongside gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn — meaning Wulf has withdrawn from the House District 76 race. That opens a genuine window of opportunity for Calvin's campaign heading into the fall.
A rural, evidence-based message. Calvin's focus on public education funding, environmental protection, and local control speaks to the concerns of rural Black Hawk County voters who may not always see themselves reflected in more urban-focused Democratic messaging — an important piece of the county party's broader coalition-building strategy.
Turnout in a competitive statewide year. With Rob Sand, Josh Turek, and Lindsay James all running competitive races in 2026, Calvin's campaign in a rural, historically Republican district helps extend the county Democratic Party's reach beyond Waterloo and Cedar Falls.
District 76 Representative Derek Wulf abandoned his run for re-election when he was named as the lieutenant governor candidate alongside Kansan Zach Lahn. So Republican insiders have handed the District 76 nomination instead to Matt Reisetter. Reisetter is the head girls basketball coach at Waterloo Christian High School, director of the Cedar Falls Bible Conference, and co-owner of Crossroads Fireworks in Waterloo. Reisetter ran for a seat in the Iowa House in 2006 and lost to Bob Kressig, then ran for State Senate in 2012 and lost to Jeff Danielson.
Water Quality: Matt Reisetter said, "I do agree that water quality is an issue. We just want to stay away from mandates." Calvin Horn says, "Water is essential for life. We've avoided regulation for years. It's time for landowners and farmers to get together with the legislature to create meaningful solutions."
Taxes: Reisetter said we need to "set Iowa's job creators free to innovate and grow by cutting tax and regulatory burdens." Calvin Horn believes in "transparent, accountable government spending. We need to be certain we are spending your tax dollars wisely with as little waste as possible. That means asking hard questions, demanding transparency, and remembering that every dollar comes from a real person who worked for it."
Education: Reisetter is an employee of Waterloo Christian High School, and a supporter of the use of public tax dollars going to the state voucher program. Calvin Horn supports PUBLIC education and appropriately funding it. "Education should be about teaching our children to think critically: How to think, not what to think. Any entity receiving public money should be accountable to the public for how those funds are spent. That means strong public schools, honest reporting, and no shortcuts when it comes to our kids' future."
Character: Reisetter gave a lecture at UNI with the title "Homosexuality: Is It OK to be Gay?" In it, he argued that it was bad public policy to allow legal same-sex marriage. He said, "Society should never intentionally create motherless or fatherless families, which is exactly what every same-sex home does." Calvin Horn says: "I will fight for equal opportunities for all Iowans, ensuring every voice is heard and every right is protected. This campaign is built on the fundamental belief that dignity belongs to everyone."
Calvin Horn knows that House District 76 typically votes Republican but is running this year to offer CHANGE! Do you want two more years of heavy-handed ideological laws being passed to take rights away from women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ citizens? Or do you want to help protect people's rights and health, the environment, and public education? Calvin Horn will work to bring the out-of-control Iowa state budget back into balance.