Iowa Democrats have flipped a state Senate seat in a district Donald Trump won by 21 points.
Newsweek has contacted both candidates and the White House for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The Republicans are currently enjoying a wave of popularity nationwide, with Trump having improved on his margins in all but two states in the 2024 election, and the GOP now controlling both the Senate and the House. In Iowa, Trump improved on his margin by 5 points.
Meanwhile, Trump’s approval rating is currently at an all-time high just a week after he began his second term as president. However, the results in Iowa’s state senate special election could indicate that the GOP’s current popularity is anything but guaranteed.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
What To Know
Democrat Mike Zimmer has defeated Republican Kate Whittington in the special election for Senate District 35, which covers portions of Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties.
The seat was previously held by Republican Chris Cournoyer, who resigned in December to serve as lieutenant governor.
Cournoyer previously won the district by a 22-point margin in 2022, giving the Republicans a decisive victory, but according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State’s website from this year’s special election, the district will now be held by the Democrats, with Zimmer winning almost 52 percent of the vote to his opponent’s 48 percent.
Zimmer, a retired teacher and coach, is president of the Central DeWitt School Board.
It comes after Trump won the district by 21 points in November. In 2024, Trump flipped Scott County red after Joe Biden previously won by the county by 3 points in 2020, and Hillary Clinton by 2 points in 2016. Jackson and Clinton counties were won by Trump in the last three presidential elections.
Iowa has voted for the Republican candidate in the last three presidential elections. Before that, the state had not voted for a Republican since 2004.
What People Are Saying
DNC Executive Director Sam Cornale said in a statement: “Trump has wasted no time showing Americans exactly who he is—a liar who will put billionaires above working families—and Americans have responded in kind by turning their backs on the MAGA GOP in the months since the presidential election. The massive 24-point swing toward Democrats in Iowa’s Senate District 35 shows that Democrats can and will compete in every part of the country. Democrats are ready to fight for our rights and for a government that looks out for the needs of working Americans. The DNC congratulates Senator-elect Zimmer, the Iowa Democratic Party and Chair Rita Hart, and we’ll continue to compete in elections everywhere.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement: “Mike Zimmer proved on Tuesday that when Democrats work hard and remain focused on the challenges Iowans are facing, we can win in rural Iowa and in districts that Donald Trump won by 21 points. Mike is a small-town guy, a local business owner and a public school educator who knows first-hand what Iowans are looking for in a representative. I’m so proud we flipped the Senate district I represented and live in blue again. Iowa Democrats are already getting to work on a great election cycle.”
Mike Zimmer told Newsweek: “The outpouring of support that we received from Iowan’s across the state was crucial. Under the auspices of Iowa Democratic Chair Rita Hart, Minority Senate Leader Janice Weiner, and Executive Senate Majority Fund Director Tyler Redenbaugh, we were able to run a positive campaign that focused on Iowa values of hardwork and fairness. Numerous phone calls, postcards and door knocking were provided by many caring volunteers. Campaigning during an Iowa winter is not for the ‘faint of heart’ and everyone really stepped up.”
Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner told Des Moines Register in a statement: “Mike Zimmer’s victory in Senate District 35, which President Trump won in November with nearly 60 percent of the vote, is a clear rejection of the Republican agenda led by Kim Reynolds and the Senate Republicans that have failed Iowans.”
“Voters sent a message: They’re tired of stagnant wages, defunded schools, and state interference in local control.”
What Happens Next
When Zimmer is sworn into office at the statehouse, there will be 16 Democrats and 34 Republicans in the state senate.
He will complete the rest of Cournoyer’s term, serving through 2026.
Update 1/30/25, 3:00 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a comment from DNC Executive Director Sam Cornale, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart and Mike Zimmer.
