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DES MOINES — Jeff Kaufmann was reelected Saturday to another two-year term as Republican Party of Iowa chairman.
Kaufmann was unanimously reelected by the state party’s leadership committee during a meeting at RPI headquarters.
Kaufmann has been Iowa Republicans’ state party leader since 2015. In that decade, Iowa Republicans have gone from sharing control of state and federal government in Iowa with Democrats to near unfettered control and historic majorities.
Iowa Republicans also have maintained their first-in-the-nation presidential precinct caucus status, while Iowa Democrats in 2024 were demoted by the national party from the leadoff position both state parties had held since the early 1970s.
“After a flawless 2024 Caucus where Iowa showed why we are first in the nation and sweeping Republican wins in November, I am deeply humbled and honored to serve another term as chairman,” Kaufmann said Saturday in a statement. “We are doing our part here in Iowa to reverse the damage by the Biden administration and enact President Trump’s America first policies that serve, not abandon, states like Iowa.”
Iowa Republicans in the 2024 elections maintained their grip on elected offices in the state.
All four Republican incumbents won their U.S. House elections, maintaining and all-Republican federal delegation from Iowa.
And Republicans expanded their supermajorities in the Iowa Legislature: they have 66 of 100 seats in the Iowa House and 34 of 50 seats in the Senate.
Linda Upmeyer was reelected as co-chair, also unanimously.
“Our wins in November were just the beginning. I am excited to build off our massive victories and carry this momentum into the midterms,” Upmeyer said in a statement. “Iowa is a prime example of what a streamlined, bottom-up grassroots movement looks like, and I am honored to serve as co-chair.”
Rita Hart was recently reelected as chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party.
Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com
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