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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The man who will serve at least temporarily as the nation’s top law enforcement official is a relatively inexperienced Republican Party loyalist from Iowa who has called for limiting special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Matthew G. Whitaker, 49, will become the nation’s acting attorney general following the forced resignation of Jeff Sessions. President Donald Trump announced the appointment Wednesday, saying on Twitter that Whitaker “will serve our Country well” and that a permanent attorney general will be nominated later. The former federal prosecutor served as Sessions’ chief of staff for one year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A defiant Iowa Congressman Steve King says his “head is bloodied but unbowed” by an unexpectedly difficult election in which he eked out the narrowest victory margin of his career. His victory over Democrat J.D. Scholten came amid outcry over his association with white supremacist groups, which he says is false, and his hardline views on immigration, abortion and gun rights. King also vows he’ll no longer allow news media or opponents to mischaracterize statements or take them out of context.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Secretary of State’s office says turnout for Tuesday’s election was the highest for a midterm general election in the state. The office said in a written release that more than 1.32 million votes had been tallied by Wednesday morning, marking the highest number for a midterm election in the state’s history. The previous record of more than 1.14 million votes was set in 2014.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Republican wall that has stood in state capitols for much of the past decade now has a few holes in it. Democrats flipped control of seven gubernatorial offices and picked up hundreds of state legislative seats in Tuesday’s first midterm elections of President Donald Trump’s tenure. While Democrats celebrated their gains, Republicans also expressed optimism because they held on to some key positions, such as the governor’s offices in Florida and Ohio.

ATLANTA (AP) — Election officials have long warned about the nation’s aging voting equipment, and voting this week underscored how badly upgrades are needed. Technological meltdowns caused problems and long lines in polling places across the country on Tuesday, leaving voters to wonder why their smartphones seemed to be light years ahead of the equipment used to distribute and count their ballots.