Overview

• Decision Desk HQ projects Democrat Catelin Drey defeated Republican Christopher Prosch in Iowa’s District 1 special election.
• The result changes the Iowa Senate balance to 33 Republicans and 17 Democrats, removing the option to confirm the governor’s nominees on party-line votes.
• The contest filled the seat left vacant by Republican Sen. Rocky De Witt, who died in June.
• The Democratic National Committee said it deployed 30,000 volunteers and coordinated phone and text banks with Iowa Democrats to boost turnout.
• Ballotpedia reports the district had been held by Republicans since 2010, making Drey the first Democrat to represent it since 2006, as Democrats notch broader 2025 special-election gains.