Iowa › Dubuque County › Dubuque County Attorney
2 candidates are tracked for Dubuque County Attorney on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Scott J. Nelson and Steve Drahozal. Candidate information follows official Dubuque County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Incumbent Republican Scott J. Nelson faces Democrat Steve Drahozal; both filed unopposed within their own parties for the June 2, 2026 primary and advanced directly to the November ballot, per the county auditor's candidate listing.
Nelson has practiced criminal law for 35 years, in private practice since 2005 and previously with a Dubuque firm from 1991 to 2005, per his campaign site. He is a U.S. Navy veteran who served from 1977 to 1983 and later served in the Iowa Army National Guard from 1986 to 1992, per his campaign site.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Prosecuting violent crime and holding offenders accountable
- Interdicting heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking
- Addressing gaps in mental health treatment within the criminal justice system
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-09.
Campaign site →
Drahozal has practiced criminal law in Dubuque for more than 24 years and is a past president of the Dubuque County Bar Association, per his campaign site. He served on the board of the Iowa State Bar Association and chaired its Criminal Law Section for six years, and he teaches criminal law and trial skills, per his campaign site.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- A smart-on-crime approach aimed at safer communities
- Centering victim rights in prosecutions
- Fiscal responsibility in the county attorney's office
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-09.
Campaign site →
