1 of 2 | Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is in a lame duck term after announcing she will not run for re-election in 2026. File Photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 4 (UPI) -- A Democrat flipped an Iowa Senate seat for the second time this year in a state that has been won by President Donald Trump in the last three general elections.
Senate-elect Catelin Drey will represent Iowa District 1 in the state legislature beginning in January after receiving more than 55% of the votes in last week's special election. Her victory breaks the Republican two-thirds majority and changes the landscape of lame duck Gov. Kim Reynolds' final year in office.
In the Iowa legislature, a two-thirds majority is significant when it comes to confirming judicial appointments and cabinet leaders. Aside from these cases, Republicans still have enough of a majority to pass legislation and pursue their legislative agenda.
In Iowa's current political landscape, the two-thirds majority becomes more significant if the governor vetoes legislation that is passed by the legislature. When a governor is in a lame-duck session, their political power is less firm, according to Kelly Shaw, teaching professor at Iowa State University in Ames.
