IOWA CITY — Democrats on Tuesday retained a narrow majority in the state Senate, winning a fiercely contested special election in Senate District 18.

Democratic candidate Liz Mathis, a former television anchor from Robins, pulled off the win over GOP candidate and rural Cedar Rapids businesswoman Cindy Golding by a margin of 55.8 percent to 43.52 percent, with all 40 precincts reporting.

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