DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrat Renee Hardman was elected to the Iowa state Senate on Tuesday in a year-end special election, denying Republicans from reclaiming two-thirds control of the chamber.
Hardman bested Republican Lucas Loftin by an overwhelming margin to win the seat representing parts of the Des Moines suburbs. The seat became vacant after the Oct. 6 death of state Sen. Claire Celsi, a Democrat.
Hardman, the CEO of nonprofit Lutheran Services of Iowa and a member of the West Des Moines City Council, becomes the first Black woman elected to the Senate.
Her win is latest in a string of special election victories for Iowa Democrats, who flipped two Senate seats this year to break up a supermajority that had allowed Republicans to easily confirm GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds’ appointments to state agencies and commissions.
A Loftin win would have given the GOP a supermajority once again, just months after Democrat Catelin Drey flipped an open seat in an August special election, giving Democrats 17 seats to Republicans’ 33. Celsi’s death brought that down to 16.
Without a supermajority, Republicans will have to get support from at least one Democrat to approve Reynolds’ nominees.
Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, called Hardman's victory “a major check on Republican power” that cemented 2025 as a year of Democratic victories and overperformance.
Democratic voters outnumbered Republicans in the district by about 3,300 voters, or 37% to 30%.
Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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