Democrat who dropped out of race over health wins anyway; GOP opponent says, ‘We deserve to know more’

A Democratic candidate who suspended his campaign for a western Iowa legislative district in September because of health reasons still won his race as part of the sweeping success story against Republicans, leading to new questions from his rival.

Big picture view:

Democrat Eric Armstrong, a former railroad executive, announced on his campaign’s Facebook page on Sept. 7 that he would step down from his campaign for Iowa House District 20. 

"Running a successful campaign requires immense physical and mental energy. Recently, I have been facing some personal health issues that require my full attention and immediate care," he wrote in part. "Because I must prioritize my health and recovery at this time, I am stepping down from my campaign, effective immediately. This was a difficult choice. However, I know it is the right one." 

He noted that the district deserved a representative "who can give 100% of their energy" to the race.

"Right now, I must focus on healing so that I can continue to serve our community in other ways in the future," he wrote.

Not the end of the story

Armstrong’s decision to exit the race should have led to an easy victory for Republican Keith Jones, a member of the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors and a retired police lieutenant. 

By the numbers:

But despite Armstrong’s announcement two months earlier, 55% of the district’s more than 8,000 voters cast their ballots for him. Armstrong won by a margin of 865 votes over Jones.

What they're saying:

In a new Facebook post Thursday, the first since the one in which he announced he would step away from the race, he said he was proud to announce his victory. 

"The voters of District 20 sent a clear message about the direction they want for Iowa, and I will make sure that message is carried to the Capitol in January," he wrote.

He ended the message by thanking the voters who selected him and a promise: "I will continue to do my best and be open and upfront about what comes next." 

He told The New York Times that he still has health issues, but said he would do his best to represent the district.

The other side:

Jones raised questions in a statement to FOX News Digital, saying, "I think we deserve to know more." 

"If he’s truly sick, why did he reenter the race? Is he healthy enough to hold office? Did he lie about being sick to cover a damaging personal story?" Jones asked. "Public trust at that level is important. Is he qualified to be in public office?" 

In another statement to FOX News Digital, Jones claimed there were "serious rumors" that he was "hiding a background that could have disqualified him from office." 

"People ‘could have’ donated to his campaign and subsequently voted for him based on a falsehood. I was a police officer for 29 years. There's absolutely something there that needs to be investigated by the media," Jones said. 

Armstrong did not immediately respond to FOX News Digital’s request for comment. 

Dig deeper:

The state House seat is held by Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek, who defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson in the Iowa U.S. Senate race this week. The district includes part of Council Bluffs and Carter Lake and borders Omaha, Nebraska. 

Click here for the latest updates to this story at FOXNews.com.