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By Shane Croucher and Kate Plummer
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Democrat Angel Ramirez defeated Republican Bernie Hayes in a special election for an Iowa State House seat, in what the Democratic Party hailed as a "clear rebuke of Trump."
Ramirez secured 79 percent of the vote versus Hayes' 21 percent, according to preliminary results for the state's 78th district in Cedar Rapids.
But turnout was just 3,470, or 17.4 percent of registered voters in the district—down sharply from the 11,168 votes in 2024.
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Ramirez will now serve out the rest of Democrat Sami Scheetz's term after he stepped down from the seat he won in November to take up a role on the Linn County Board of Supervisors.
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Why It Matters
The election win could galvanize the Democrats and dampen the Republicans' spirits as a referendum on President Donald Trump, though the district had a recent history of voting for Democratic candidates.
Special elections often serve as a way for parties to measure the temperature of voters heading into larger election cycles.
There have already been two other special elections in Iowa, including one that was won by Republicans in House District 100, and another was won by Democrat Mike Zimmer, who beat Republican Kate Whittington in a surprise victory.
What To Know
Ramirez previously told The Gazette that she wanted to use her time in office to lower costs for working people, increase support for public school and improve protections for marginalized communities.
Speaking after her win, she said: "Our campaign has really been about joy, hope and progress."
Though the district has previously voted for Democratic candidates, Ramirez saw larger support.
In the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris won 65.2 percent of the vote in the precincts represented by Scheetz, according to state data. Meanwhile, Joe Biden received 67.6 percent of the presidential vote in these areas in 2020.
Scheetz won the election unopposed in November 2024 and defeated Republican Anne Fairchild in 2022 with 67.5 percent of the vote.
The Iowa House still maintains a Republican majority, with 67 seats to the Democrat's 33 seats.
What People Are Saying
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement, according to Iowa's News Now: "Congratulations to Rep.-elect Ramirez on her sweeping victory in Iowa in what was a clear rebuke of Trump and every Republican who co-signs his reckless agenda. Trump has been in office for 100 days and the results have been a disaster—Iowans are seeing their prices rise, jobs cut, and promises Trump made to Iowa's farmers and working families broken.
"Today's win underscores what we continue to see everywhere: Democrats are overperforming in red, purple, and blue districts alike. Voters are fed up with Republicans and are ready for leaders who will actually put their families first. Democrats are providing commonsense solutions for working Americans and gaining more momentum every day."
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said that Ramirez's win pointed to future election wins in the state. "The scale of our victory tonight shows that as long as Democrats run candidate who understand and fight for their communities, we can win elections across the state," she said in a statement.
"There's more work to be done, but tonight we can rest assured that things are looking a bit brighter. We won this election in good shape. Tomorrow we get ready for the next."
What Happens Next
The next election in the State House will take place in November 2026.
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