An Iowa Senate special election is drawing national attention after Democrat Catelin Drey’s victory, which ends a three-year Republican supermajority in the state’s upper chamber.
Drey’s win gives Democrats 17 seats in the 50-member Senate. Republicans, who hold 33 seats, now need at least one Democratic vote to confirm Gov. Kim Reynolds’ nominees to state agencies, boards, and commissions during the last year of her term.
Drey won with 55% of the vote to Republican Christopher Prosch’s 44%, according to unofficial results from the Woodbury County Auditor’s Office.
Drey fills the vacant seat for Iowa Senate District 1 following the death of Republican Sen. Rocky De Witt in June from pancreatic cancer.
Democratic leader: Iowa special election ‘should send a flashing warning to the GOP’
Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said the election result “should send a flashing warning to the GOP.”
“Voters are rejecting the failing MAGA agenda and leaving Republican candidates in the dust,” Williams said in a statement. “State legislative Democrats are delivering progress, responding to their communities’ concerns about the chaos in Washington, and providing the steady leadership voters are asking for — leadership that has propelled candidates like Sen.-elect Catelin Drey to victory this year. More special elections are right on the horizon, and we’re just getting started.”
Democratic Party Chair: ‘When Democrats organize everywhere, we win everywhere’
The Democrats national party chair Ken Martin pointed to Drey’s win as an example of how the party can rebuild after years of losses at the local and national level.
The party deployed a team of 30,000 volunteers to help Drey, Martin said.
Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann: Democrats ‘were so desperate’
The Republican Party of Iowa Chair, Jeff Kaufmann, said the national party’s move to recruit 30,000 volunteers and fund the race was an act of desperation to win the special election.
“National Democrats were so desperate for a win that they activated 30,000 volunteers and a flood of national money to win a state senate special election by a few hundred votes,” Kaufmann said on a social media post. “If @DNC thinks things are suddenly so great again for them in Iowa, they will bring back the caucuses.”
Rob Sand: ‘Iowans are ready for change’
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand offered his congratulations in a post on social media, saying the victory signaled that Iowans “are ready for change.”
Sand hopes to be part of that change as he campaigns for the Democratic nomination for Iowa governor in 2026.
J.D. Scholten: Iowa Senate District one will have ‘great representation’
Drey will offer “great” representation to the northwestern district, said Rep. J.D. Scholten on social media. Scholten represents one of two Iowa House districts housed in Drey’s Senate district.
“Selfishly, I’m beyond excited to not be the only Democrat in the Iowa Legislature in the 42 counties of NW and North Central Iowa anymore!!!,” Scholten said in the post.
Iowa Democratic Chair Rita Hart: Iowa is ‘ready for a new direction’
Iowa Democratic Chair Rita Hart claimed the special election is the fourth in a row where “Iowa voted for change.” Iowa Democrats have made strides in special elections, but still narrowly lost in March for a southeast Iowa House District. Democrats flipped an eastern Iowa senate seat when Mike Zimmer won a special election in January. They also retained a Cedar Rapids-based House seat in April.
“Catelin Drey will listen to the people, not the powerful, get our economy growing, and bring down costs for families,” Hart said.
Iowa State Education Association: Members supported a public education ‘advocate’
The Iowa State Education Association, the state labor union representing public educators, called Drey a pro-public education advocate. One of Drey’s priorities was funding public schools to meet or exceed the rate of inflation.
Reporting contributed by Stephen Gruber-Miller.
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How are party leaders reacting to Iowa special election results?