Republicans Seek to Reclaim State Senate Supermajority in Iowa Special Election

Voters in Iowa State Senate District 16 go to the polls Tuesday for a special election that has major political stakes, with a Republican supermajority in the state’s upper chamber on the line.

The election will be held to replace state Sen. Claire Celsi, a Democrat, who died in October. Her district covers parts of Clive, West Des Moines, and Windsor Heights, Iowa.

Democrat Renee Hardman and Republican Lucas Loftin of Clive are running for the vacant seat.

For Republicans, the race presents an opportunity to reverse a defeat suffered in August, when the election of Democratic state Sen. Catelin Drey allowed Democrats to break the Republican supermajority, which is largely important for allowing the party to approve a governor’s appointees without needing the support of a Democrat.

Going into the race, Republicans hold 33 seats to Democrats’ 17.

Hardman is the president and CEO of Lutheran Services in Iowa, a nonprofit group that provides assistance to immigrants, people with disabilities, children in the foster care and adoption system, and others.

She’s said her focus in the state Senate would be on making child care, housing, and health care affordable.

“People are struggling here, and I want to try to see if I can make an impact on the affordability of child care and affordable housing,” Hardman told Iowa Public Radio.

“I’m nervous about what’s going to happen with Medicare. I want to be in the fight to lift my voice up to make sure that families aren’t disadvantaged by Medicare changes,” she said, referencing the sweeping cuts to Medicaid instituted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Loftin, meanwhile, is focusing on affordability and lowering taxes.

In the Democratic district, Loftin told Iowa Public Radio that he’s describing himself to voters as “just a regular guy.”

“I buy groceries, I put gas in my car, I pay a mortgage. You know, all of these things,” Loftin said. “Our dollars don’t go as far as they used to, and everybody across the country, not just in Iowa, is feeling that.”

The outcome of the race remains unclear in a district previously held by a Democrat and amidst a national environment increasingly favoring the party.

Drey’s August victory represented a major reversal of the results in the district just months earlier. After Trump won the district by around 10 points, Drey won her race by 11, marking a 21-point swing in just nine months.