Iowa Republicans want to retain legislative power

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa Republicans expect to retain their majority in the Iowa Legislature. The question is whether it will remain a supermajority.

In the 2024 elections, Republicans held 34 of the 50 seats in the Senate and 64 of the 100 seats in the House of Representatives.

Each House seat is up for grabs every two years, but only half of Iowa’s Senate seats are up for election this November. Since these seats are not up for election, Republicans already have a 17-8 lead. If you factor in the unopposed elections, Republicans are virtually guaranteed at least 20 seats in the Iowa Senate and Democrats 9.

The unopposed House seats are fairly evenly split, with Democrats holding a slight edge at 15-14.

After the 2022 elections, Republicans gained supermajority advantage in both the Iowa House and Senate, leaving Democrats in Iowa with little power other than to complain about bills introduced in the chambers.

If Democrats manage to flip a seat, they will again have the power to hold back candidates who need confirmation votes, which they could use to negotiate legislative concessions.

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