Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa voters have reelected Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst to a second term after a heated race in which she portrayed herself as a conservative who was willing to work with Democrats. Ernst beat Democrat Theresa Greenfield, a Des Moines real estate developer. Ernst argued that she had been true to her deeply conservative beliefs as both a state legislator and U.S. senator. She said she had been able to work with Democrats on issues such as veterans health care and child care, though she also served in Republican leadership and has been an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President Donald Trump and Sen. Joni Ernst have held off challenges in Iowa, which had been considered a swing state after voters chose Democrat Barack Obama twice but swung to favor Trump four years ago. The Republican president and Democrat Joe Biden held events in Iowa in the days leading up to Tuesday’s election indicating what had appeared to be a tight race. Ernst had breezed to an easy win in 2014. She won again but by a narrower margin against Democrat Theresa Greenfield, who heads a Des Moines property development company.

UNDATED (AP) — The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is reaching record highs in several U.S. states, as Americans vote for their next president under the shadow of a resurging pandemic. While daily infections are rising in all but three states, the surge is most pronounced in the Midwest and Southwest. Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado and New Mexico reported record hospitalizations this week. Nebraska’s largest hospitals started limiting elective surgeries and looked to bring in nurses from other states. Officials in Iowa and Missouri warned bed capacity could soon be overwhelmed. The resurgence loomed over candidates and voters, fearful about both the virus and its economic toll.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s rate of positive coronavirus cases moved up to second in the nation behind only South Dakota. Data from researchers at Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday showed the seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from 25.5% on Oct. 19 to 37.4% on Nov. 2. Only South Dakota has a higher average rate, at 50.6%. The 730 people being treated Tuesday at Iowa hospitals for coronavirus infections also was a record. The state posted 1,516 new confirmed cases and 22 deaths, bringing the total to 133,229 cases and 1,755 deaths. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday announced she would spent an extra $28 million on relief to hospitals and county health departments that are struggling amid increased coronavirus cases.

The 2020 General Election wrapped-up locally Tuesday night, with decisions made on some locally contested races. In Cass County, Republican Bernard Pettinger, of rural Anita, defeated Democrat Russell Joyce for the District 5 Supervisor seat on the Cass County Board of Supervisors. Pettinger garnered 1,000 votes, to Joyce’s 443. There were five candidates vying for four seats on the Cass County Ag Extension Council. The top four votes went to Darrin Petty, Jody Steffen, Marcy Jo Dorsey and Curt Rush. And, Dan Schrier won the right to serve as Edna Township Trustee, over his opponent Keith Nelson. Voter turnout in Cass County was 73.73%.

In Adair County, John A. Twombley defeated Thaddeus Hawley for a seat on the Adair County Board of Supervisors in District 5. Voter turn-out was 77%, and there were 2,075 absentee ballots cast. In Adams County, Merlin Dixson won over Tony Hardisty for the Board of Supervisors in District 2.

Audubon County voters selected Rick Thompson and Doug Sorensen as their top two choices for the Board of Supervisors. Todd Nelson was a close third place finisher in the race. In Guthrie County, Mike Dickson defeated Eric Tiernan for the District 5 Board of Supervisors seat, and Dani Fink retains her appointed County Auditor seat, by defeating challenger Hans Erickson.

In Montgomery County, Republican Randy Cooper won over no party candidate Bryant Amos for the County Supervisor/District 3 seat. And, the top three votes out of four for Montgomery County Hospital Trustees, went to Ann Carder, Lorin Petersen and James Norris. Voter turn-out was 72.95%.

In Pottawattamie County, Republicans Brian Shea and Tim Wichman were elected to the County Board of Supervisors. There were no contested races in Shelby County. Even so, voter turnout was 84.15%.

County Auditor

Mark Maxwell (I) (Rep) 5,825

County Sheriff

Neil Gross (I) (Rep) 6,025

County Board of Supervisors (Elect 2)

Steve Kenkel (Rep) 5,281

Charles Parkhurst (Rep) 4,204

County Public Hospital Trustee (elect 2)

Richard Rasmussen 4,112

Jeanine Larsen 4,010

Soil & Water Commissioner (elect 3)

Jason Monson 4,070

Cari Petersen 3,783

Dennis W. Gaul 3,732

Ag Extension Council (elect 4)

Gwen E. Hanson 3,474

Kathy Fara 3,505

Chad Heithoff 3,577

Michelle Monson 3,951

State Representative – District 18

Steven Holt (Rep) 4,803*

Damon Hopkins (Dem) 1,560

U-S Representative – District 4

Randy Feenstra (Rep) 4,371*

J.D. Scholten (Dem) 1,954

County Board of Supervisors (elect 2)

Lisa Lima (Dem) 15,225

Frances Parr (Dem) 12,943

Brian Shea (Rep) 23,787 *

Tim Wichman (Rep) 23,019*

County Auditor

Melvyn J. Houser (Rep) 36,617

County Sheriff

Andy Brown (Rep) 36,751

East Pott. Soil & Water District Council (elect 3) – Nonpartisan

J. Bernie Bolton 2,701

Keith Hotze 3,131

Robert Zimmerman 2,803

East Pott. Ag Extension County (elect 4) – Nonpartisan

Chris Conover 2,677

Stephanie Harder 2,860

Christine Matthies 2,544

Andrew Messerschmidt 2,836

West Pott. Soil & Water District Council (elect 3) – Nonpartisan

David Dittmer 24,002

Russ Goeser 22,860

Gary Larson 24,284

West Pott. Ag Extension (Elect 4) – Nonpartisan

Constance Casson 22,327

Matthew Garst 22,793

Stacey Goodman 23,794

Deborah K. Gordon 21,278

State Representative – District 21 (elect 1)

Shaun Kelley (Dem) 267

Tom Moore (I) (Rep) 728 *

State Representative – District 22 (elect 1)

Shawna Anderson (Rep.) 5,837

Jon Jacobsen (Dem.) 13,306

(District, Party, Candidate(s), Name) (I=Incumbent, NP= No Party)

Board of Supervisors:

District1 (elect1)

Republican Stephen S. Green (I) 1,028

District2 (elect1)

Republican Steve Baier (I) 1,260

District5 (elect1)

Republican Bernard Pettinger  1,000*

Democrat Russell Joyce 443

Other Cass County Offices:

Auditor: (elect1)

Republican Dale Sunderman (I) 6,186

Sheriff: (elect1)

Republican Darby McLaren (I) 6,265

Attorney (To fill a vacancy): (elect1)

RepubLican Vanessa Strazdas – TFV (Incumbent by appointment) 5,420

Non-Partisan Offices County Wide

Hospital Board of Trustees (elect 3):

Linda L. Pelzer 4,209

Leanne Pellet 4,376

Ned Brown 3,890

Soil & Water Conservation District (elect 3)

Ray Wilson 3,749

Curt Behrends 4,420

Chase Wheatley 3,919

Ag Extension Council (elect 4)

Darrin Petty 3,847

Marcy Jo Dorsey 3,220

Curt Rush 2,854

Jody Steffen 3,385

Alice C. Williams 2,133

Edna Township Trustee (elect 1 – 4 year term)

Dan Schrier  53*

Keith Nelson 13

Union Township Trustee (elect 1 – 4 year term)

Delmar South 102

Winner (I- Incumbent, Rep=Republican, D= Democrat)

County Supervisor District #1 – Elect 1

Matt Wedemeyer (Rep) 751;  write-in 8

County Supervisor District # 3 – Elect 1

Jerry Walker (Rep) 624; write-in 122

County Supervisor District #5 – Elect 1

Thaddeus Hawley (Dem) 276

John A Twombly (Rep) 526 *

County Auditor – Elect 1

Mandy Berg (Rep) 3,735; Write-in 23

County Sheriff – Elect 1

Jeffrey L Vandewater (Rep) 3,772; Write-in 23

County Attorney – To Fill Vacancy – Elect 1

Melissa S Larson (Dem) 3,046; Write-in 95

Richland Township Trustee – Elect 1

Roy Maeder 99

Washington Township Trustee – Elect 1

No Candidate Filed ________________ Write-In 28

County Hospital Trustee – Elect 3

Willard Olesen 2,605

Jimmy Freeland 2,500

Deb Tindle 2,757

County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner – Elect 3

Randy Caviness  2,706

James Frederick  2,505

Daryl Nelson 2,736

County Agricultural Extension Council Member – Elect 4

Jessica Christensen 2,404

Matt Mensing 2,669

Trent Raasch 2,550

Karen Schulteis 2,502

Key: I=incumbent; Rep=Republican; Dem=Democrat; Lib-Libertarian

County Auditor

Danielle Fink (appointed May, 2020) (Rep) 4,813 *

Hans Erickson (Dem) 1,290

Board of Supervisors/District 5 (elect 1)

Eric Tiernan (Dem) 586

Mike Dickson (I) (Rep) 726*

Key: I=incumbent; Rep=Republican; Dem=Democrat; Lib-Libertarian

Board of Supervisors (elect 2)

Todd M. Nelson (Rep)  1,639

Rick Thompson (Rep)  1,817 *

Doug Sorensen            1,667*

County Auditor

Lisa Fredericksen (I) (Rep)  2,889

County Sheriff

Todd W. Johnson (I) (Rep). 2,869

Viola Township Trustee (elect 2)

Louis Schultes 56

Larry Anthofer 58

County Public Hospital Trustees (elect 2)

Brett Irlmeier 2,191

Michelle Sprague 2,107

Soil & Water Conservation District Commissioners (vote for more no than 3)

Steven Brinkman 2,005

Russell Bruhn 1,923

Paul Campbell 1,879

County Ag Extension Council (vote for no more than 4)

Lexi Christensen 1,807

Hollie Rudy 1,555

Sandra Irlmeier 1,656

Bryan J. Svoboda 2,005

State Senate District 6

Craig Steven Williams (Rep) 1,964

C.J. Petersen (Dem) 955

State Representative District 12

Brian Best (Rep) 2,238

Sam Muhr (Dem) 721

Blake Johannes (Lib) 117

U-S Representative (elect 1)

Randy Feenstra (Rep) 1,977

J.D. Scholten (Dem) 1,133

US Senate (elect 1)

Joni Ernst (I) (Rep) 2,186

Theresa Greenfield (Dem) 1,091

Rick Stewart (Lib) 70

Suzanne Herzog 21

Key: I=incumbent; Rep=Republican; Dem=Democrat; Lib-Libertarian; NP= Non Partisan

District 3 Board of Supervisors (elect 1)

Randy Cooper (Rep) 644*

Bryant Amos (NP)    413

Frankfort Township Trustee (elect 2)

Rodney Hart 121

Write in 20

Montgomery County Hospital Trustees (elect 3)

Lorin Petersen 2,681 *

Sarah Wearin Smith 2,527

James Norris 2,568*

Ann Carder  2,741 *

Montgomery County Soil & Water Conservation Commissioner (elect 3)

Kent D. Swanson 3,282

David Carbaugh  3,367

Fred Hossle  3,246

Montgomery County Ag Extension Council (elect 4)

Lucas Oster 3,099

Kassandra Houdek 2,801

Mike Thomas 2,755

Chad Jacobs 2,941

Pilot Grove Township Trustee (2)

David W. Olson 73

Ronald Adams 91

Red Oak Township Trustee (2)

Donna DeVries 208 ;  2 write-in votes

Sherman Township Trustee (2)

James Good 76

Dan Phelps 94