Iowa is a shining example of how it can work for the rest of the country.
The red wave hit Iowa. Governor Kim Reynolds had a huge victory, Senator Chuck Grassley was reelected by a large margin, and the Iowa House and Senate increased their strong majorities even further. Republican candidates Brenna Bird and Roby Smith unseated longtime Democrats in other statewide races.
However, the red wave did not materialize nationwide. What can we take away from these results?
Notably, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis won Florida by more than Governor Gavin Newsom won deep-blue California, and Republican success down the ballot in Florida mirrored Iowa’s. Not too long ago, Iowa and Florida were purple swing states. Strong conservative leaders who kept these states open and focused on conservative policies were rewarded with big wins.
The path forward isn’t to race back to moderate, establishment policies.
Nationally, Democrats will be emboldened that high inflation, high taxes, and cultural slide are a recipe for success, but they would be wrong.
The path forward is strong, principled candidates who can articulate their positions and demonstrate a track record of success, like Reynolds and DeSantis.
Republicans have a firm grip on Iowa’s state government.
When lawmakers return to the Iowa Capitol in January, Republicans will have 34 of 50 seats in the Senate and 64 of 100 seats in the House.
Having 34 seats in the Iowa Senate is significant. A two-thirds majority is needed to approve the governor’s appointees. The last bit of power that Democrats had in their minority was the ability to block gubernatorial appointees. Now that is gone.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said, “We have made history. It’s been over 50 years since either side has had a supermajority.”
The Iowa House fell two seats short of a supermajority of their own. Election results show they were only two or three hundred votes away from having a 67-member majority after losing some close races- one by nine votes, one by 24, and one by 130.
Iowans appreciate conservative governance. Our state is moving in the right direction.
