Renee Hardman Wins Iowa State Senate Special Election, Denies GOP Two‑Thirds Supermajority

Decision Desk HQ projects that Democrat Renee Hardman won a special election for the Iowa state Senate on Tuesday, a victory that prevents Republicans from regaining a two‑thirds supermajority in the chamber.

Hardman, the West Des Moines mayor pro tempore, defeated Republican Lucas Loftin to fill the seat left vacant after state Sen. Claire Celsi (D) died in October. The result preserves a 2/3 threshold short of Republican control, which would have allowed the GOP to override a governor’s veto, call special legislative sessions, and confirm governor’s appointees on a party‑line vote.

Why it matters: The win caps a strong year for Iowa Democrats and maintains a critical check on unilateral power in the state Senate. Earlier in 2025, Democrats flipped two other state Senate seats — Mike Zimmer in January and Catelin Drey in August — moves that helped break the GOP supermajority earlier this year.

This result also continues a string of Democratic gains nationwide: the party recently prevailed in special state Senate contests in Kentucky and Tennessee and outperformed expectations in November when Democrats won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, captured New York City’s mayoralty, and secured multiple down‑ballot victories.

Hardman also reached a historic milestone: she was the first Black woman elected to the West Des Moines City Council and now becomes the first Black woman elected to the Iowa state Senate. Celsi, the late state senator, had managed Hardman’s first city council campaign nearly a decade earlier, KCCI reported.

“Her victory ensures that Iowa Republicans will not have a supermajority in the Iowa Senate, a major check on Republican power that puts billionaires first,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said. “With the last special election of the year now decided, one thing is clear: 2025 was the year of Democratic victories and overperformance, and Democrats are on track for big midterm elections.”

State records show registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district, and Celsi had previously won elections there by double digits. While former President Donald Trump carried Iowa by roughly 13 points in 2024, the Biden–Harris ticket carried this particular district by about 17 points, according to The Associated Press. Hardman’s victory therefore reflects both local partisan lean and sustained Democratic organizing in the area.

What's next: With this seat filled, Iowa Democrats conclude the year on a high note, and Republicans fall short of the procedural powers a supermajority would have conferred. The result will shape legislative dynamics in Des Moines as lawmakers prepare for the coming session.