Republicans try to flip an Iowa Senate seat and reclaim a supermajority in year-end special election

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some Iowans are ringing successful 2026 with a peculiar predetermination connected the last Tuesday of the year, casting ballots for a authorities legislator successful a contention that offers Republicans an accidental to reclaim two-thirds power of the chamber.

Democrat Renee Hardman faces Republican Lucas Loftin successful the predetermination for the authorities Senate spot representing parts of Des Moines’ suburbs. The spot is vacant aft the Oct. 6 decease of authorities Sen. Claire Celsi, a Democrat.

Flipping the spot would springiness Republicans supermajority presumption erstwhile again, conscionable months aft a Democrat flipped a Republican spot successful an August peculiar election, giving Democrats 17 seats to Republicans' 33. Celsi's decease near the Democratic caucus astatine 16.

Senate Republicans near Des Moines past outpouring with a supermajority, which allows the enactment to easy corroborate Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’ appointments to authorities agencies and commissions. A Hardman triumph successful Tuesday's predetermination would bounds Republicans’ powerfulness successful the Senate arsenic lawmakers hole to instrumentality to Des Moines for the 2026 legislative session. Without a supermajority, Republicans would person to trust connected enactment from astatine slightest 1 Democrat to o.k. Reynolds' nominees.

Democrats outnumber Republicans successful the territory by astir 3,300 voters, 37% to 30%, but a vacation week peculiar predetermination whitethorn beryllium much volatile.

About a 3rd of registered voters successful the territory are affiliated with different enactment oregon registry without a governmental party.

Celsi won her 2024 reelection bid against a Libertarian rival with 69% of the territory electorate. But she earned a smaller bulk of voters successful 2022 — 58% — against a Republican, who earned 42% of the vote. That was akin to the stock Republican President Donald Trump received successful the territory past year.

Hardman, who would beryllium the archetypal Black pistillate elected to the Iowa authorities Senate, is the CEO of nonprofit Lutheran Services of Iowa and a subordinate of the West Des Moines City Council. Loftin, who started arsenic a histrion trimmer for Wright Service Corp. successful 2007, has since transitioned to bundle and information task absorption for the biology services company.

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Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City.

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