Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart cautioned Wednesday against treating her party’s biggest wins in years as a mandate. She said voters who flipped the governor’s office, a U.S. Senate seat and three U.S. House seats want elected officials to work together and address their concerns about costs and corruption.
“That's not a mandate. That's a cry for help,” Hart told reporters during a virtual news conference.
Democrat Rob Sand defeated Republican Zach Lahn to become the first Democrat elected Iowa governor since Chet Culver in 2006. Josh Turek became the first Democrat Iowa has elected to the U.S. Senate since Tom Harkin won reelection in 2008. Democrats Sarah Trone Garriott, Lindsay James and Christina Bohannan won three of Iowa’s four U.S. House seats.
Democrats also won races for attorney general and state auditor. Hart said the party broke the Republican supermajority in the Iowa House and had a strong showing in the state Senate. Republicans retained control of both chambers, leaving Sand to work with GOP lawmakers on his agenda.
Asked about her future as party chair, Hart said her term is up in two years and that she wanted to celebrate with the people who helped secure Tuesday’s wins. She did not directly say whether she might step down or seek another term.
Echoes of 2018, with bigger gains in Iowa
Tuesday night had a feeling of déjà vu. For the second time in Donald Trump’s presidency, Democrats rode a midterm backlash to control of the U.S. House. In Iowa, they won three of the state’s four U.S. House seats, just as they did in 2018.
This time, Democrats also flipped the governor’s office, which Republicans held in 2018, and picked up a U.S. Senate seat. When asked how Tuesday compared, Hart said the night felt different to her. She credited years of organizing and a slate of candidates she said listened to voters and earned their trust.
“That it takes organization, it takes listening, it takes resources, and it also takes great candidates,” Hart said.
Hart said Democrats began rebuilding county party organizations and raising money to hire staff in January 2023. The effort grew to 65 field organizers and 35 field offices, she said, with volunteers knocking on thousands of doors. She said one-on-one conversations gave candidates and organizers a chance to hear directly from voters.
Tuesday’s wins strengthen Iowa Democrats’ case for an early spot on the party’s 2028 presidential nominating calendar, but its chances depend on whether newly elected Democrats can deliver results and the party keeps talking with voters between elections, Hart said.
She said she had yet to speak with the Democratic National Committee about what the wins might mean for Iowa’s place on the presidential caucus calendar. She said she would talk with Iowa’s newly elected Democrats before continuing those discussions with the national party.
The Democratic calendar puts South Carolina first and leaves Iowa out of the early voting window for the second straight presidential cycle. Iowa opened the Democratic nominating process from 1972 through 2020. The DNC moved Iowa out of the lead-off spot ahead of the 2024 election after reporting and technology failures delayed the 2020 caucus results and amid criticism of the caucuses’ accessibility and how well they represented Democratic voters.
Republicans, meanwhile, will keep Iowa first in 2028.
Republicans retain leverage at the Statehouse
Hart pointed to the state’s budget problems, public school funding and privatized Medicaid as areas where Democrats will need Republican cooperation. On private school scholarships, she said lawmakers could look at how the money is spent and what accountability requirements and restrictions should apply.
Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann acknowledged the losses Tuesday night at the GOP watch party in Des Moines.
“Well, look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it tonight. It's a disappointing evening. There's no doubt about it,” Kaufmann told supporters.
Kaufmann pointed to the historical pattern of the president’s party losing ground in midterm elections and said Republican control of the Iowa Legislature would serve as a check on Sand. He praised Lahn for sticking with his positions through a contested primary and the general election and urged him to stay involved in Iowa politics.
“Rob Sand’s victory does not give him a blank check,” Kaufmann said in a written statement. He said Republican lawmakers should push back if Sand pursues policies they oppose.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who did not seek reelection, said in a written statement Wednesday that she called Sand that morning to congratulate him and pledged to help prepare his administration to take office.
"Now that the election is over, it’s time to work together so Iowa remains the best state in the nation to live, work and raise a family for generations to come," Reynolds said in the statement. "My team and I will do our part to ensure the incoming administration is ready for their first day in office. Iowans deserve nothing less."
Hart also defended the party’s commitment to transgender Iowans’ civil rights after a reporter asked whether Turek’s opposition to taxpayer-funded gender-affirming care signaled a broader shift. She acknowledged differences among Democrats on how to approach the issue and said the party’s candidates and elected officials agree that no one should be stripped of their civil rights.
She cautioned Democrats against taking Tuesday’s wins or the enthusiasm behind them for granted. She said voters want elected officials to work across party lines and find lasting solutions. Otherwise, she warned, voters could swing back to Republicans just as quickly as they turned to Democrats.
“People are tired of that. We're done with that, and it's time to actually do a good job of governing," Hart said.
