Democrats have continued their winning streak in key special elections this year, with another victory in a contested state Senate seat in Iowa. The party aims to break up the Republican supermajority in the body and demonstrate further enthusiasm among the Democratic base in an offyear election. Democratic candidate Catelin Drey’s win in Iowa Senate District 1 by more than 10 points over Republican Christopher Prosch is just the latest in a string of Democratic electoral successes this year that is likely to give the party hope heading into the midterms.
The Democratic National Committee’s effort to rally voters in the district appears to have paid off, giving Democrats some reassurance that they have momentum with voters most likely to turn out. Drey’s win will also alter the political dynamic in Des Moines in a small but significant way. With Drey’s win, the split in the Senate will now be 33 Republicans to 17 Democrats, denying the GOP that two-thirds and requiring nominees from Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) receive at least one Democratic vote to be approved.
In Georgia, Democrats have a steeper battle in a contested state Senate race to replace former state Sen. Brandon Beach (R) after Trump chose him to become the U.S. treasurer. Democrat Debra Shigley appears poised to advance to the runoff against one of her Republican opponents. The district, located in the northern Atlanta suburbs, voted for Trump by 34 points, a much wider margin than either of the Iowa districts or the Pennsylvania one. However, Shigley consolidated Democratic support behind her and appears on track to perform somewhat better than former Vice President Kamala Harris did in November, the positive sign Democrats are looking for in deep red areas.
