Democrats break GOP supermajority in Iowa with special election win

Democrat Catelin Drey is projected to win a special Iowa Senate election.

The victory would flip a seat and end the Republican supermajority in the chamber. That means Democrats will be able to block the governor’s nominations that require a two-thirds vote. Those include appointments to the Cabinet, the Board of Medicine and the Board of Regents.

Democrats have performed better than expected in all four of Iowa’s special legislative elections this year.

Donald Trump won the state by 13 percentage points in 2024.

Drey will be the first Democrat to hold the seat in 14 years. Her district includes parts of Sioux City in the western part of the state.