Seeing red, again
Republicans win big during Tuesday's election
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NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS
Voters fill out their ballots at the Hartley Community Center on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Iowa Republicans had a lot to celebrate Tuesday night.
Not only did incumbent Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds breeze to re-election past Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear, GOP candidates Brenna Bird and Roby Smith knocked off Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller and Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, respectively. Miller was first elected in 1978 and Fitzgerald in 1982.
Only one incumbent Democrat holding state office had a chance of surviving as of Wednesday morning. With 97 of 99 counties reporting, Auditor Rob Sand held a slight advantage over Republican challenger Todd Halbur, 598,617-595,448. If Sand's lead holds, he would be the only Democrat holding state office in Iowa.
NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS
Kent Billings submits his ballot during Tuesday's election.
The GOP train didn't stop at the Statehouse. Republicans also swept Iowa's four U.S. congressional seats, with Randy Feenstra, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson and Zach Nunn all cementing a spot in Washington. Longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley also steamrolled Democrat Mike Franken en route to securing an eighth term in the Senate.
Locally, only one contested race was featured. Incumbent Democratic County Attorney Travis Johnson fended off Republican challenger Ashley Herrig 3,689-2,741 in Clay County. All other county-level races in Clay and O'Brien counties were uncontested with no surprises.
Additionally on Tuesday, voters approved a ballot measure further bolstering gun rights in the state. The measure adds language to the Iowa Constitution that states it is a "fundamental individual right" to keep and bear arms, and that any restraint on that right is invalid unless it meets the stringent demands of "strict scrutiny" in court.
The measure received around 65 percent of support.
