Joni Ernst Issued Warning After Democrats Flip Iowa Seat [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Aug 27, 2025 at 8:26 AM EDT


A Democrat challenging Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican, has sent a message after his party flipped a state Senate seat. "We are going to flip this U.S. Senate seat the exact same way that Catelin Drey flipped her state Senate seat," Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls said in a video posted on X on Tuesday. Newsweek contacted Wahls and Ernst for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.

Why It Matters

Drey beat Republican Christopher Prosch by more than 10 points to represent Iowa's 1st Senate district, according to preliminary results posted by county officials. The district primarily consists of Woodbury County, which Republican President Donald Trump had carried by double digits in the 2024 election.

The result is the latest in a series of Democratic wins in special elections this year that are driving optimism about the party's chances heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

What To Know

In the video, Wahls said Drey's victory "is going to have profound impacts for our state for many years to come." Her win means Democrats hold 17 seats in the 50-member state Senate, enough to break the supermajority the GOP has had since the 2022 election. Wahls also said it was the fourth special election in Iowa where Democrats "have put up 20-plus point overperformances, which tells you that this state is in play."

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/joni-ernst-warning-democrats-flip-iowa-seat-2120006