TLDR;
Iowa Democrats secured a significant victory in a special election, flipping a Republican seat in the state Senate and breaking the GOP’s supermajority. Catelin Drey won the Sioux City-area district with 55% of the vote, defeating Republican Christopher Prosch, who secured 44%. This win gives Democrats 17 seats in the Senate, reducing the Republican majority from 33 to 32 and ending their two-thirds supermajority. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin celebrated the victory, stating that Iowans are rejecting Republicans and embracing change. This win follows a trend of Democratic success in special elections this year, despite the district being won by Donald Trump in 2022. The election was called after Republican Sen. Rocky De Witt died in June. Republicans still hold a majority in the state House, but this flip signals growing Democratic momentum in Iowa.
In a notable triumph for Iowa Democrats, they successfully flipped a Republican-held seat in a special election, thereby breaking the GOP’s supermajority in the state Senate. Catelin Drey emerged victorious in the Sioux City-area district, securing 55% of the vote, while Republican candidate Christopher Prosch garnered 44%, according to unofficial results from all reporting precincts.
This win boosts Democratic representation in the Senate to 17 seats, with Republicans holding 33, effectively ending the GOP’s two-thirds supermajority. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin celebrated the victory, emphasizing that Iowans are recognizing Republicans as “self-serving liars” who prioritize advancing Donald Trump’s agenda over their constituents’ interests. He also highlighted the importance of Democratic organizing, stating that when Democrats mobilize, they achieve success.
The special election was called by Gov. Kim Reynolds following the death of Republican Sen. Rocky De Witt, who passed away from cancer in June after being first elected in 2022. While Republicans maintain control of the state House, Democrats have shown strong performance in special elections this year, despite Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to Trump in the previous election. Earlier this year, Democrat Mike Zimmer flipped another state Senate seat, winning by 4 percentage points in a district Trump had carried by 25 points in November.
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