Iowa Republican Party leaders celebrated early this morning during a fundraiser, calling their “supermajorities” in the Iowa House and Senate a mandate for the GOP’s policy agenda.
House Speaker Pat Grassley of New Hartford will lead a 67 seat majority in the House. “You keep hearing, ‘Oh, Republicans arstruggling in the suburbs all across the country. Republicans are struggling in certain areas,'” Grassley said. “Well, it feels so good for us to be winning in Dubuque like we did…knocking off a long-time Democratic incumbent. We represent Mason City for the first time in 20 years, so we continue to expand our map all across the state,” Grassley said.
House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl said the election results show Iowans approve of Republican policies. “Katie bar the door!” Windschitl said. “Here we come! The 91st General Assembly.”
The crowd at the breakfast recorded a dance video that Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann said would be sent to President-elect Trump. “We want people to know that Iowa Republicans are fired up. We want people to know that Iowa Republicans like Donald Trump,” Kaufmann yelled as the tune “YMCA started playing in the room.
Governor Reynolds was next at the microphone, expressing relief that Trump is returning to the White House next week. “I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have been unburdened by what has been,” Reynolds said; the crowd laughed at the reference to a comment Vice President Kamala Harris often made on the campaign trail.
Reynolds said Iowa voters have signaled their support for the Republican Party’s agenda in Washington and Des Moines. “Iowans overwhelmingly supported Republicans up and down the ticket,” she said.
The Iowa Democratic Party held a private fundraiser Sunday night. Once the legislature convenes, that’s the cut off for campaign donations to legislative campaigns. Donations may resume once the legislature adjourns for the year.