Overview

• Drey defeated Republican Christopher Prosch 55% to 44% in Senate District 1, a seat Trump carried by about 11 points in 2024.
• Republicans now hold 33 seats to Democrats’ 17 in the 50-member chamber, below the two-thirds threshold required to confirm gubernatorial appointees.
• Fewer than one in four registered voters turned out for the special election, according to unofficial tallies reported by the AP and PBS.
• The Democratic National Committee mounted a large mobilization with roughly 30,000 volunteers, while Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann argued the outcome stemmed from national money and manpower.
• The victory follows other 2025 Democratic overperformances in Iowa, including a January Senate pickup; Drey fills the seat left vacant by the June death of Sen. Rocky De Witt and will face voters for a full term in 2026.