Democrats scored a decisive victory in a special election for the Iowa State House this week, with their candidate Angel Ramirez defeating Republican Bernie Hayes in a heavily Democratic district in Cedar Rapids.
The result is being interpreted by Democratic leaders as a strong sign of voter dissatisfaction with the direction of the country under President Donald Trump’s second term.
Ramirez secured 79 percent of the vote compared to Hayes’ 21 percent in Iowa’s 78th House District, according to preliminary numbers released following the election.
While the district has long leaned Democratic, party leaders pointed to the margin of victory as a reflection of growing momentum for their side and rising opposition to Republican leadership both in the state and nationally.
However, voter turnout in the special election was modest, with only 3,470 voters casting ballots—representing just 17.4 percent of registered voters in the district. That number marks a sharp decline from the 11,168 votes cast in the 2024 general election.
Despite the low turnout, Ramirez’s win was met with enthusiasm from the Democratic Party. She will now serve the remainder of former Representative Sami Scheetz’s term after he stepped down to join the Linn County Board of Supervisors earlier this year.
Following her win, Ramirez delivered a message that echoed the themes of her campaign. “Our campaign has really been about joy, hope, and progress,” she said to supporters after the results were confirmed.
Her campaign focused on lowering costs for working families, expanding support for public education, and increasing protections for marginalized communities.
Though the 78th district has long supported Democratic candidates—Kamala Harris won 65.2 percent of the vote there in the 2024 presidential race, and Joe Biden earned 67.6 percent in 2020—the scale of the win was still noteworthy.
Scheetz had previously won the seat unopposed in 2024 and defeated a Republican challenger in 2022 with 67.5 percent of the vote.
The Iowa House of Representatives still remains firmly in Republican control, with 67 Republican members to 33 Democrats. However, Democrats were quick to celebrate the special election victory as part of a broader trend.
Ramirez’s win follows another recent special election in Iowa where Democrat Mike Zimmer defeated Republican Kate Whittington in an unexpected upset.
The back-to-back wins have energized Democrats who see these results as signs that voters are responding to Trump’s policies with skepticism, especially after the president’s first 100 days back in office.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin issued a statement congratulating Ramirez and tying the victory directly to Trump’s leadership. “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,” Martin said.
He added, “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.”
Martin emphasized that Democrats are “providing commonsense solutions for working Americans and gaining more momentum every day.”
Rita Hart, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, echoed those sentiments and framed the win as a glimpse of what’s possible in future elections across the state. “The scale of our victory tonight shows that as long as Democrats run candidates who understand and fight for their communities, we can win elections across the state,” Hart said in her 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.”
While the seat was considered safe for Democrats, Ramirez’s margin of victory gives the party added confidence heading into a crucial stretch leading up to the 2026 midterms.
Democratic strategists say that maintaining enthusiasm among core voters—even in stronghold districts—is critical to reversing Republican gains in statewide contests and eventually challenging the GOP’s legislative dominance in Iowa.
Republicans, for their part, have downplayed the outcome, noting the district’s long-standing partisan alignment. Still, the contrast in turnout between past elections and this special race has raised concerns among party leaders who are trying to gauge the impact of Trump’s early second-term policies on voter enthusiasm.
Ramirez, who ran a campaign rooted in community-focused messaging, now faces the task of transitioning from campaigning to legislating. In previous interviews, she expressed a desire to advocate for working people, fight for public school funding, and ensure that Iowa remains a state where “everyone feels safe and seen.”
Her win adds another voice to a Democratic caucus that has struggled to gain traction in a state that has shifted steadily rightward in recent years. Yet the recent special elections offer a glimmer of hope to party organizers who believe the political climate may be starting to shift once more.
Democrats nationally have pointed to a pattern of strong performances in special elections as evidence of political momentum building at the grassroots level. While individual special elections are not always predictive of broader national trends, party officials say that overperformance in multiple states—including places like Iowa, New York, and Pennsylvania—suggests voters are increasingly skeptical of Republican rule.
The narrative being pushed by Democrats is that voters are growing disillusioned with Trump’s return to power and the ripple effects of his policies. Rising consumer prices, administrative shakeups, and widespread federal layoffs under the Department of Government Efficiency have all become targets of Democratic criticism.
In Cedar Rapids, Ramirez’s victory speech focused on unity and hope rather than partisan attacks. “This is a moment for us to come together,” she said. “Our community deserves leaders who listen, who care, and who are willing to put in the work.”
Her message was received warmly by local supporters, many of whom see her win as more than symbolic. For them, it represents a chance to push back against what they view as harmful national policies by strengthening local leadership and investing in state-level progress.
The next scheduled election for the Iowa State House will take place in November 2026. Until then, Ramirez will serve the remainder of her term, and Democrats are expected to use her win as a rallying point for organizing and outreach efforts in other districts across the state.
