A special election next Tuesday, December 30, will fill a vacancy in the Iowa Senate.
Democrat Clair Celsi of West Des Moines, who had been a senator since 2019, died in October at the age of 59. Three-term West Des Moines City Council member Renee Hardman, the Democratic nominee for the seat, says her top priority is making child care, health care and housing more affordable. “I’d like to expand opportunities for better paying jobs, livable wages,” Hardman said, “and I just want to keep Iowa and families safe and healthy.” Hardman says public education is also a priority and she doesn’t support the state-funded educational savings accounts for private school expenses.
Lucas Loftin from Clive is the Republican candidate. Loftin and his wife are the parents of five children and has served as a leader of two homeschooling organizations. Loftin says his priority is reducing government spending and while he’d like to abolish property taxes, Loftin says that would be difficult. “I would like to see my dollars go a lot further than they do right now,” Loftin said, “and that predominantly includes getting government out of the way.” Loftin says the state is generally on the right track, but is spending too much on what he calls “problematic programs and ideologies.”
If Loftin wins next Tuesday, Republicans will regain their 34 seat super majority and will not need votes from Democrats to approve the governor’s nominees for state government positions. There have been two other special elections in the Iowa Senate this year. One in August came after Republican Senator Rocky De Witt of Lawton died in June. The other was held in early January after Republican Chris Cournoyer resigned and Governor Reynolds appointed her lieutenant governor. Democrats won both seats.
(Reporting by Isabella Luu, Iowa Public Radio)