Democratic candidate Renee Hardman won the Iowa Senate special election on Tuesday, preventing Republicans from regaining two-thirds control of the state’s upper chamber.
Hardman defeated Republican candidate Lucas Loftin by nearly 45 percentage points, according to the election results, which showed that more than 95% of the votes were in by late Tuesday.
The special election was for a seat representing parts of Des Moines’s suburbs. The seat became vacant after Democratic state Sen. Claire Celsi died of an undisclosed medical condition in October.
Celsi’s death reduced the Democratic caucus to 16 seats in the 50-seat Iowa Senate. With Hardman’s victory, her party now holds 17 seats, compared to the Republicans’ 33.
The Democratic Party previously broke the GOP supermajority in an August special election, but that victory was undermined by Celsi’s death two months later.
If Loftin won, Republicans could have easily overrode gubernatorial vetoes, called special sessions, and confirmed Gov. Kim Reynolds’s (R-IA) appointees without Democratic support. But given his loss, Iowa Republicans now need at least one Democratic vote to confirm the governor’s nominees to state agencies, boards, and commissions.
Tuesday’s special election adds to the Democratic Party’s winning streak this year. The Democratic National Committee congratulated Hardman on her “historic” win as the first black woman elected to the Iowa Senate.
“Senator-elect Hardman … will be a voice for working Iowans and will fight tooth and nail to make Iowa more affordable,” DNC Chairman Ken Martin said. “Her victory ensures that Iowa Republicans will not have a supermajority in the Iowa Senate, a major check on Republican power that puts billionaires first. With the last special election of the year now decided, one thing is clear: 2025 was the year of Democratic victories and overperformance, and Democrats are on track for big midterm elections.”
IOWA SPECIAL ELECTION PUTS GOP SENATE SUPERMAJORITY BACK IN PLAY
Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, the sole Democrat currently serving in statewide elected office and one of the leading candidates to replace Reynolds next year, also released a hopeful statement ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“Congrats to Renee Hardman on her over 40-point victory in SD-16 tonight,” Sand wrote on X. “As the sixth straight Democratic overperformance in special elections since 2024, it’s clear Iowans are ready for change as we head into 2026.”
