In a political development that’s sent ripples through Iowa and beyond, Democrat Catelin Drey clinched a victory in a special election for the Iowa state Senate on August 26, 2025. The win, which took place in the Sioux City area—a region long considered a Republican stronghold—has broken the GOP’s supermajority in the chamber and raised fresh hopes for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
The special election was triggered by the death of Republican Sen. Rocky de Witt in June, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. De Witt, first elected in 2022, had represented the district as part of a Republican-dominated Senate. According to the Woodbury County Auditor’s Office and reported by the Associated Press, Drey defeated Republican Christopher Prosch with 55% of the vote to Prosch’s 44%.
While the numbers might seem straightforward, the implications are anything but. The turnout was low—fewer than a quarter of registered voters cast ballots, roughly 7,600 compared to almost 22,000 during the 2024 presidential election in the district, as noted by CNN. Yet, the outcome was decisive. Drey’s margin of victory, about 10 points, was especially noteworthy in a district that Donald Trump carried by 11 points just last year.
Drey’s campaign focused squarely on the rising cost of living and the struggles Iowans face to make ends meet. Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, Drey explained, “Being able to afford a good life in Iowa has gotten harder. So reaching voters with that message was priority No. 1.” She emphasized that affordability “affects us whether we are Black, White or brown.” Her message resonated, echoing Democratic strategies in other parts of the country where economic anxiety has become a rallying cry.
This victory didn’t come out of nowhere. Democrats have been making inroads in Iowa throughout 2025, flipping another state Senate seat in January and a House seat in April. In fact, Democratic candidate Mike Zimmer’s win in January came in a district Trump had won by 25 points in November, as reported by multiple outlets. The trend has party leaders touting a potential sea change. “For the fourth special election in a row, Iowa voted for change,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement to CNN. “Our state is ready for a new direction and Iowa Democrats will keep putting forward candidates who can deliver better representation for Iowans.”
The impact of Drey’s win is immediate and tangible. With Democrats now holding 17 seats to the Republicans’ 33 in the 50-member chamber, the GOP’s two-thirds supermajority—held since 2022—is gone. This means Republicans can no longer confirm appointments to state agencies and commissions by Governor Kim Reynolds without at least one Democrat’s support. As the Associated Press explained, this shift could complicate the governor’s ability to push through her agenda in the final year of her term.
National Democrats were quick to celebrate. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin didn’t mince words: “Iowans are seeing Republicans for who they are: self-serving liars who will throw their constituents under the bus to rubber stamp Donald Trump’s disastrous agenda—and they’re ready for change. Make no mistake: when Democrats organize everywhere, we win everywhere, and today is no exception.”
Meanwhile, Iowa Republicans sought to downplay the significance of the result. State GOP chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a written statement, “National Democrats were so desperate for a win that they activated 30,000 volunteers and a flood of national money to win a state senate special election by a few hundred votes.” Still, Republican groups also poured resources into the race, underscoring the high stakes for both parties.
It’s worth noting that despite the Democratic gains, Republicans still control the state House and the majority of the Senate. However, the break in the supermajority is more than symbolic. It hands Democrats leverage at a crucial moment, with key state appointments and policies hanging in the balance.
This election’s outcome is also being viewed through the lens of national politics. After Vice President Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump in Iowa in 2024—a state Trump carried by 13 points—Democrats have been searching for a strategy to reconnect with voters in the Midwest. Drey’s success, built on a message of economic fairness and pragmatic governance, could serve as a blueprint for other candidates in similar districts.
The special election’s low turnout is a reminder of the unpredictability inherent in these off-cycle races. But Democratic strategists are optimistic that high motivation among their base could translate into further gains in 2026, when midterm voters tend to be more engaged and the electorate skews slightly differently than in presidential years.
Looking ahead, the political spotlight in Iowa is shifting to the upcoming U.S. Senate race in 2026. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is expected to announce soon whether she’ll seek reelection. Ernst has faced criticism for her support of some Trump administration policies, and a recent town hall remark about Medicaid cuts—“Well, we all are going to die”—drew widespread backlash. If Ernst does run, she’ll face primary challengers from within her own party, including former state Sen. Jim Carlin and Navy veteran Joshua Smith. On the Democratic side, a crowded field is already forming, featuring state Rep. Josh Turek, state Sen. Zach Wahls, former chamber of commerce president Nathan Sage, and Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris.
Democrats are hoping Drey’s win signals broader dissatisfaction with the status quo. As Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart put it, “This gives us a real reason to believe that we have every opportunity to win that Senate seat and put it in the Democratic column.”
For Republicans, the loss is a wake-up call but not a crisis—at least not yet. They retain control of most levers of state government and have a deep bench of candidates. Still, as Democrats rack up special election victories in districts that previously seemed out of reach, the political winds in Iowa may be starting to shift.
With the 2026 midterms on the horizon, both parties are recalibrating. For now, Catelin Drey’s win stands as a testament to the power of local campaigning, the importance of economic issues, and the unpredictable nature of American politics in a state that’s suddenly back in play.
