Catelin Drey (D) and Christopher Prosch (R) are running in the special general election for Iowa state Senate District 1 on Aug. 26. The previous incumbent Rocky De Witt (R) died on June 25.
Republicans have a 33-16 majority in the Iowa Senate with one vacancy. Republicans also have a majority in the Iowa General Assembly, and Gov. Kim Reynolds is a Republican, meaning Iowa has a Republican trifecta.
This election will determine whether Republicans will maintain their two-thirds supermajority in the Senate. According to Bleeding Heartland’s Laura Belin, “The difference between a 34-16 majority and a 33-17 majority may seem inconsequential, but it would matter a great deal when the Senate considers the governor’s nominees during the 2026 legislative session… who need a two-thirds majority vote to be confirmed.”[1]
Drey is a marketing executive and founder of the group “Moms for Iowa,” which describes itself as a grassroots organization focused on “curbing gun violence and championing women’s reproductive rights.”[2][3][4] Drey said her top priority is to increase state education funding in the district.[3] Other priorities listed on Drey’s campaign website include “Affordable, accessible childcare,” “Bodily Autonomy,” and “Economic mobility.”[5]
Prosch is the owner of a media consulting firm in Sioux City. On his campaign website, Prosch describes himself as “a principled, common sense conservative” who “believes in limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the traditional family values that have always been the bedrock of our community.”[6] Prosch said his top priority is to eliminate the state income tax. Other priorities listed on his campaign website include “Securing the Border & Ending Illegal Immigration,” “Empowering Parents & Prioritizing Education”, “and “Protecting the Unborn.”[7]
This will be the fourth special state legislative election in Iowa in 2025.
According to The Downballot’s David Nir and Jeff Singer, “The district has bounced back and forth in recent years, with Democrats flipping it in 2018 only to give it right back four years later. In 2024, it supported Donald Trump by a 55-44 margin, but Democrats are hopeful about their chances given their strong overperformances in three other Iowa special elections this year.”
The other three special state legislative elections in Iowa this year were in Senate District 35, House District 78, and House District 100. Democrats gained two seats, one in each chamber, after they won in Senate District 35 and House District 78. Republicans retained control in House District 100.
Eighty-three special state legislative elections in 22 states have been scheduled so far this year. Between 2011 and 2024, an average of 70 special elections took place each year.