Democrat Renee Hardman won Tuesday’s year-end special election for an Iowa state Senate seat, beating Republican Lucas Loftin and preventing the GOP from reclaiming a two-thirds supermajority in the 50-member chamber, the Associated Press reported. The victory keeps Democrats in a position where at least one Democratic vote would be needed to approve Gov. Kim Reynolds’ nominees if Republicans cannot reach the supermajority threshold.
Hardman prevailed by a wide margin in the district representing parts of the Des Moines suburbs. With about 99% of votes counted, she led Loftin by about 43 percentage points, according to the AP’s reporting. The AP said the race filled the seat left open after the Oct. 6 death of Democratic state Sen. Claire Celsi.
After declaring victory in West Des Moines, Hardman told supporters, “I want to recognize that while my name was the one on the ballot, this race was never just about me,” the AP reported. Hardman is the CEO of Lutheran Services of Iowa and a member of the West Des Moines City Council, according to the AP.
The AP also reported that Hardman becomes the first Black woman elected to the Iowa Senate. Her win comes as Iowa Democrats have recorded a series of special-election results that shifted the Senate balance away from Republicans’ ability to control the chamber through a supermajority.
This special election reduced the number of seats Republicans had been positioned to reclaim toward two-thirds control. The AP said Republicans would have regained two-thirds authority with a Loftin victory, a threshold that would allow Republicans to approve Reynolds’ state agency and commission nominees without Democratic support.
Without that supermajority, the AP reported that Republicans will need backing from at least one Democrat to approve Reynolds’ nominees. The AP said Republicans still hold significant majorities in both legislative chambers, but the Senate’s supermajority status affects how easily leadership can secure confirmations.
The AP said Iowa Democrats’ special-election string included earlier flips this year: Democrat Mike Zimmer won a seat in January, Democrat Catelin Drey defeated a GOP opponent in August in northwestern Iowa, and Celsi’s death later reduced the total from 17 Democratic seats to 16. Those moves, the AP said, helped Democrats chip away at a supermajority that had enabled Republicans to confirm Reynolds appointments.
Republican and Democratic leaders framed the result as part of a broader electoral picture. Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, called Hardman’s win “a major check on Republican power,” the AP reported, and also said Democrats were on track for big midterm elections. Martin said, “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,” the AP reported.
The AP said Loftin, who described himself as a tree trimmer turned data manager, congratulated Hardman and told the AP he is praying for her as she begins the role. Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann, the AP reported, praised Loftin and his supporters for putting up a fight in what he described as “a very tough district,” and said the Republican Party of Iowa remains focused on expanding its majorities in the Iowa Legislature while keeping Iowa “ruby-red.”
The AP also reported that the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee pledged to help defend Democrats’ gains in Iowa and prevent the return of a GOP supermajority next year. The AP said Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district by about 3,300 voters, or 37% to 30%, and noted that Iowa’s political momentum is tied to upcoming national races, including Democrats’ goal of netting three U.S. House seats in 2026 to reclaim the chamber majority and impede President Donald Trump’s agenda.