Political party strength in Iowa

Last updated

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Iowa:

Contents

The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:

For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.

1846–1920

YearExecutive offices General Assembly United States Congress Electoral votes
Governor Lt. Governor Sec. of State Attorney Gen. Auditor Treasurer State Senate State House U.S. Senator
(Class II)
U.S. Senator
(Class III)
U.S. House
1846 Ansel Briggs (D)no such office Elisha Cutler Jr. (D)no such officeJoseph T. Fales (D)Morgan Reno (D)12D, 6W23W, 17D2D
1847 George Wallace Jones (D) Augustus C. Dodge (D)
1848 Josiah H. Bonney (D) Lewis Cass/
William O. Butler (D)Red x.svg
184911D, 8W28D, 11W1D, 1W
1850 George W. McCleary (D)William Pattee (D)Israel Kister (D)
1851 Stephen P. Hempstead (D)13D, 5W34D, 5W2D
1852Martin L. Morris (D) Franklin Pierce/
William R. King (D)Green check.svg
1853 David C. Cloud (D)20D, 11W40D, 23W1D, 1W
1854Andrew J. Stevens (W)
1855 James W. Grimes (W)John Pattee (R)17D, 14W40W, 31D James Harlan (FS)
1856 Elijah Sells (R) Samuel Allen Rice (R) John C. Frémont/
William L. Dayton (R)Red x.svg
185723R, 12D44R, 26D James Harlan (R)2R
1858 Ralph P. Lowe (R) Oran Faville (R)22R, 14D [a] 42R, 30D [a]
1859Jonathan W. Battel (R)John W. Jones (R) James W. Grimes (R)
1860 Samuel J. Kirkwood (R) Nicholas J. Rusch (R)23R, 20D49R, 37D Abraham Lincoln/
Hannibal Hamlin (R)Green check.svg
1861 Charles C. Nourse (R)
1862 John R. Needham (R)32R, 14D60R, 34D
1863 James Wright (R)William H. Holmes (R)6R
1864 William M. Stone (R) Enoch W. Eastman (R)42R, 4D87R, 5D Abraham Lincoln/
Andrew Johnson (NU)Green check.svg
1865 Isaac L. Allen (R)John A. Elliott (R) Samuel J. Kirkwood (R)
1866 Benjamin F. Gue (R) Frederick E. Bissell (R)42R, 5D83R, 15D
1867 Ed Wright (R) Henry O'Connor (R)Samuel E. Rankin (R) James Harlan (R)
1868 Samuel Merrill (R) John Scott (R)42R, 7D86R, 14D Ulysses S. Grant/
Schuyler Colfax (R)Green check.svg
1869
1870 Madison Miner Walden (R)43R, 7D James B. Howell (R)
1871 Henry C. Bulis (R)John Russell (R) George G. Wright (R)
1872 Cyrus C. Carpenter (R) Marsena E. Cutts (R)42R, 8D78R, 22D Ulysses S. Grant/
Henry Wilson (R)Green check.svg
1873 Josiah T. Young (R)William Christy (R) William B. Allison (R)9R
1874 Joseph Dysart (R)34R, 10I, 6D50R, 44I, 6D [b]
1875 Buren R. Sherman (R)8R, 1D
1876 Samuel J. Kirkwood (R) [c] Joshua G. Newbold (R)41R, 9D70R, 30D Rutherford B. Hayes/
William A. Wheeler (R)Green check.svg
1877 John F. McJunkin (R)George W. Bemis (R) Samuel J. Kirkwood (R)9R
Joshua G. Newbold (R) [d] vacant
1878 John H. Gear (R) Frank T. Campbell (R)38R, 12D73R, 25D, 2GB
1879 John A. T. Hull (R)7R, 2GB
188041R, 7D, 2GB82R, 14D, 4GB James A. Garfield/
Chester A. Arthur (R)Green check.svg
1881 Smith McPherson (R) William V. Lucas (R) Edwin H. Conger (R) James W. McDill (R)9R
1882 Buren R. Sherman (R) Orlando H. Manning (R)46R, 2D, 2GB71R, 22D, 7GB
1883John L. Brown (R) James F. Wilson (R)8R, 2D, 1GB
188439R, 11D52R, 42D, 6GB6R, 4D, 1GB James G. Blaine/
John A. Logan (R)Red x.svg
1885 Frank D. Jackson (R) Andrew J. Baker (R)Jonathan W. Battell (R) Voltaire P. Twombly (R)7R, 2D, 1G
1886 William Larrabee (R) John A. T. Hull (R)Charles Beardsley (R)31R, 19D60R, 39D, 1I
1887John L. Brown (R)8R, 1D, 1GB, 1IR
1888Hames A. Lyons (R)35R, 15D64R, 33D, 3I Benjamin Harrison/
Levi P. Morton (R)Green check.svg
1889 John Young Stone (R)10R, 1D
1890 Horace Boies (D) Alfred N. Poyneer (R)28R, 20D, 1UL, 1I50D, 45R, 4I, 1UL [e]
1891 William M. McFarland (R)Byron A. Beeson (R)6D, 5R
1892 Samuel L. Bestow (D)25D, 24R, 1Pop [f] 54R, 45D, 1I Benjamin Harrison/
Whitelaw Reid (R)Red x.svg
1893Cornelius G. McCarthy (R)10R, 1D
1894 Frank D. Jackson (R) Warren S. Dungan (R)34R, 16D79R, 21D
1895 Milton Remley (R) John Herriott (R) John H. Gear (R)11R
1896 Francis M. Drake (R) Matt Parrott (R)43R, 7D80R, 20D William McKinley/
Garret Hobart (R)Green check.svg
1897 George L. Dobson (R)
1898 L. M. Shaw (R) James C. Milliman (R)39R, 11D62R, 38D
1899 Frank Merriam (R)
190042R, 8D81R, 19D William McKinley/
Theodore Roosevelt (R)Green check.svg
1901 William B. Martin (R) Charles W. Mullan (R)Gilbert S. Gilbertson (R) Jonathan P. Dolliver (R)
1902 Albert B. Cummins (R) [c] John Herriott (R)39R, 11D84R, 16D
1903 Beryl F. Carroll (R)10R, 1D
190442R, 8D78R, 22D Theodore Roosevelt/
Charles W. Fairbanks (R)Green check.svg
190511R
190640R, 10D [g] 82R, 18D [g]
1907 Warren Garst (R) William C. Hayward (R) John F. Riggs Willison W. Morrow (R)36R, 14D75R, 33D10R, 1D
1908 William Howard Taft/
James S. Sherman (R)Green check.svg
Warren Garst (R) [d] vacant
1909 Beryl F. Carroll (R) George W. Clarke (R) Howard Webster Byers (R)John L. Bleakly (R)34R, 16D80R, 28D Albert B. Cummins (R)
1910 Lafayette Young (R)
1911 George Cosson (R)70R, 38D
1912 William S. Kenyon (R) Woodrow Wilson/
Thomas R. Marshall (D)Green check.svg
1913 George W. Clarke (R) William L. Harding (R) William S. Allen (R)William C. Brown (R)33R, 17D66R, 42D8R, 3D
1914
1915Frank S. Shaw (R)35R, 15D76R, 32D10R, 1D
1916 Charles Evans Hughes/
Charles W. Fairbanks (R)Red x.svg
1917 William L. Harding (R) Ernest Robert Moore (R) H. M. Havner (R)Edwin H. Hoyt (R)40R, 10D94R, 14D11R
1918
1919 Walter C. Ramsay (R)45R, 5D93R, 15D
1920 Warren G. Harding/
Calvin Coolidge (R)Green check.svg

1921–present

YearExecutive offices General Assembly United States Congress Electoral
votes
Governor Lt. Governor Sec. of State Attorney Gen. Auditor Treasurer Sec. of Ag. State
Senate
State
House
U.S. Senator
(Class II)
U.S. Senator
(Class III)
U.S.
House
1921 Nathan E. Kendall (R) John Hammill (R) Walter C. Ramsay (R) Ben Gibson (R)Glenn C. Haynes (R)William J. Burbank (R)no such office48R, 2D101R, 6D, 1I William S. Kenyon (R) Albert B. Cummins (R)11R
1922 Smith W. Brookhart (R)
1923Raymond W. Cassidy (R)46R, 4D91R, 16D, 1I
1924James E. Thomas (R)R. G. Clark (R) Calvin Coolidge/
Charles G. Dawes (R)Green check.svg
1925 John Hammill (R) Clem F. Kimball (R)J. C. McClune (R)Raymond E. Johnson (R)Mark G. Thornburg (R)45R, 4D, 1I101R, 7D
1926 Daniel F. Steck (D)
1927 John Fletcher (R)J. W. Long (R)48R, 1D, 1ID95R, 13D Smith W. Brookhart (R)
1928 Arch W. McFarlane (R) Edward McMurray Smith (R) Herbert Hoover/
Charles Curtis (R)Green check.svg
192948R, 2D96R, 12D
1930
1931 Dan W. Turner (R) G. C. Greenwalt (R)44R, 6D71R, 37D L. J. Dickinson (R)10R, 1D
1932C. Fred Porter (R) Franklin D. Roosevelt/
John Nance Garner (D)Green check.svg
1933 Clyde L. Herring (D) Nelson G. Kraschel (D) Ola Babcock Miller (D) Edward L. O'Connor (D)Charles W. Storms (D)Leo J. Wegman (D)Ray Murray (D)25D, 25R [h] 76D, 32R Louis Murphy (D)6D, 3R
193426R, 24D [i]
193528D, 22R58D, 50R
193626D, 24R [j]
1937 Nelson G. Kraschel (D) John K. Valentine (D) Robert E. O'Brien (D) John H. Mitchell (D)Thomas L. Curran (D)28R, 22D54D, 54R [k] Clyde L. Herring (D) Guy Gillette (D)5D, 4R
193829R, 21D [l]
1939 George A. Wilson (R) Bourke B. Hickenlooper (R) Earl G. Miller (R) Fred D. Everett (R) C. B. (Chet) Akers (R) Willis Bagley (R)Mark G. Thornburg (R)38R, 12D89R, 19D7R, 2D
1940 Wendell Willkie/
Charles L. McNary (R)Red x.svg
1941 John M. Rankin (R)45R, 5D87R, 21D
19428R, 1D
1943 Bourke B. Hickenlooper (R) Robert D. Blue (R) Wayne M. Ropes (R)John M. Grimes (R)Harry D. Linn (R)98R, 10D George A. Wilson (R)8R
1944 Thomas E. Dewey/
John W. Bricker (R)Red x.svg
1945 Robert D. Blue (R) Kenneth A. Evans (R)91R, 17D Bourke B. Hickenlooper (R)
1946
1947 Rolo H. Bergeson (R) Robert L. Larson (R)44R, 6D98R, 10D
1948 Harry S. Truman/
Alben W. Barkley (D)Green check.svg
1949 William S. Beardsley (R) [m] Melvin D. Synhorst (R)43R, 7D79R, 29D Guy Gillette (D)
1950 Clyde Spry (R)
1951 William H. Nicholas (R) M. L. Abrahamson (R)41R, 9D93R, 15D
1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower/
Richard Nixon (R)Green check.svg
1953 Leo Elthon (R) [d] Leo Hoegh (R)46R, 4D105R, 3D
1954
1955 Leo Hoegh (R) Dayton Countryman (R)44R, 6D90R, 18D Thomas E. Martin (R)
1956
1957 Herschel C. Loveless (D) William H. Nicholas (R) Norman A. Erbe (R)40R, 10D71R, 37D7R, 1D
1958
1959 Edward J. McManus (D)33R, 17D58R, 50D4D, 4R
19605R, 3D Richard Nixon/
Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R)Red x.svg
1961 Norman A. Erbe (R) W. L. Mooty (R) Evan Hultman (R) L. B. Liddy (R)35R, 15D78R, 30D Jack Miller (R)6R, 2D
1962
1963 Harold Hughes (D) [c] 38R, 12D6R, 1D
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson/
Hubert Humphrey (D)Green check.svg
1965 Robert D. Fulton (D) Gary L. Cameron (D) Lawrence F. Scalise (D) Lorne R. Worthington (D) Paul Franzenburg (D) Kenneth E. Owen (D)34D, 25R101D, 23R6D, 1R
1966
1967 Melvin D. Synhorst (R) [n] Richard C. Turner (R) Lloyd R. Smith (R) L. B. Liddy (R)32D, 29R89R, 35D5R, 2D
1968 Richard Nixon/
Spiro Agnew (R)Green check.svg
1969 Robert D. Ray (R) Roger Jepsen (R) Maurice E. Baringer (R)44R, 17D86R, 38D Harold Hughes (D)
1970
197138R, 12D63R, 37D
1972
1973 Arthur Neu (R) Robert H. Lounsberry (R)28R, 22D57R, 43D Dick Clark (D)3D, 3R
1974
197526D, 24R61D, 39R John Culver (D)5D, 1R
1976 Gerald Ford/
Bob Dole (R)Red x.svg
197759D, 41R4D, 2R
1978
1979 Terry Branstad (R) Tom Miller (D) Richard D. Johnson (R)28R, 22D57R, 43D Roger Jepsen (R)3D, 3R
1980 Ronald Reagan/
George H. W. Bush (R)Green check.svg
1981 Mary Jane Odell (R)29R, 21D58R, 42D Chuck Grassley (R)
1982
1983 Terry Branstad (R) Robert T. Anderson (D) Michael Fitzgerald (D)28D, 22R60D, 40R
1984
198529D, 21R Tom Harkin (D)4R, 2D
1986
1987 Jo Ann Zimmerman (D) Elaine Baxter (D) Dale M. Cochran (D)30D, 20R58D, 42R
1988 Michael Dukakis/
Lloyd Bentsen (D)Red x.svg
198961D, 39R
1990
1991 Joy Corning (R) Bonnie Campbell (D)28D, 22R53D, 47R
1992 Bill Clinton/
Al Gore (D)Green check.svg
199326D, 24R51R, 49D4R, 1D
1994
1995 Paul Pate (R) Tom Miller (D)27D, 23R64R, 36D5R
1996
199729R, 21D54R, 46D4R, 1D
1998
1999 Tom Vilsack (D) Sally Pederson (D) Chet Culver (D) Patty Judge (D)30R, 20D56R, 44D
2000 Al Gore/
Joe Lieberman (D)Red x.svg
2001
2002
2003 David A. Vaudt (R)29R, 21D54R, 46D
2004 George W. Bush/
Dick Cheney (R)Green check.svg
200525D, 25R51R, 49D
2006
2007 Chet Culver (D) Patty Judge (D) Michael Mauro (D) Bill Northey (R) [o] 30D, 20R54D, 46R3D, 2R
2008 Barack Obama/
Joe Biden (D)Green check.svg
200932D, 18R57D, 43R
2010
2011Terry Branstad (R) [p] Kim Reynolds (R) Matt Schultz (R)26D, 24R60R, 40D
2012
201353R, 46D, 1 vac.2D, 2R
Mary Mosiman (R)
201453R, 47D
2015 Paul Pate (R)57R, 43D Joni Ernst (R)3R, 1D
2016 Donald Trump/
Mike Pence (R)Green check.svg
201729R, 20D, 1I59R, 41D
Kim Reynolds (R) [d] Adam Gregg (R)
2018 Mike Naig (R)
2019 Rob Sand (D)32R, 18D53R, 47D3D, 1R
2020 Donald Trump/
Mike Pence (R)Red x.svg
202159R, 41D3R, 1D
202260R, 40D [q]
2023 Brenna Bird (R) Roby Smith (R)34R, 16D [r] 64R, 36D4R
2024 Donald Trump/
JD Vance (R)Green check.svg
202567R, 33D
Key to party colors and abbreviations for members of the U.S. Congress and other politicians or officials
Alaskan Independence (AKIP)
Know Nothing (KN)
American Labor (AL)
Anti-Jacksonian (Anti-J)
National Republican (NR)
Anti-Administration (AA)
Anti-Masonic (Anti-M)
Conservative (Con)
Covenant (Cov)
Democratic (D)
Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL)
Democratic–NPL (D-NPL)
Dixiecrat (Dix),
States' Rights (SR)
Democratic-Republican (DR)
Farmer–Labor (FL)
Federalist (F)
Pro-Administration (PA)
Free Soil (FS)
Fusion (Fus)
Greenback (GB)
Independence (IPM)
Independent Democrat (ID)
Independent Republican (IR)
Jacksonian (J)
Liberal (Lib)
Libertarian (L)
National Union (NU)
Nonpartisan League (NPL)
Nullifier (N)
Opposition Northern (O)
Opposition Southern (O)
Populist (Pop)
Progressive (Prog)
Prohibition (Proh)
Readjuster (Rea)
Republican (R)
Silver (Sv)
Silver Republican (SvR)
Socialist (Soc)
Union (U)
Unconditional Union (UU)
Vermont Progressive (VP)
Whig (W)
Independent (I)
Nonpartisan (NP)
  1. 1 2 The Iowa Constitution of 1857 moved the elections for state legislators from even years to odd years, making the 6th General Assembly only last one year in 1857 and the 7th last for two starting in 1858. Thus the terms of newly elected or current senators last only three years, and the terms of past or current representatives correspond to the duration of both.
  2. After 137 ballots, the Republicans and the Independent Anti-Monopolists with the Democrats, struck a deal on the evening of the 22nd of January, 1874. The Republicans controlled the Speakership under John H. Gear, but the Anti-Monopolists and Democrats controlled most of the minor offices, all standing committees' membership were split 50-50 including dual chairmen, and the investigation committees were run and led by the Anti-Monopolist coalition. [1] [2]
  3. 1 2 3 Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
  4. 1 2 3 4 As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
  5. After 137 ballots, the Republicans and Democrats came to an agreement where the Democrats got the Speakership under John T. Hamilton, while the Republicans got the seat of Speaker pro Tempore, and the committees and minor offices were split. [3] [4]
  6. With a Democratic Lt. Governor in Samuel L. Bestow who was also President of the Senate, the Democrats had the tie breaking vote, chose M.J. Kelly as President Pro Tempore, and organized the chamber. [5]
  7. 1 2 A constitutional amendment in 1905 moved the elections for state legislators from odd years to even years, making the 31st General Assembly only last one year. Thus, the terms of newly elected or current senators lasted only three years, and the terms of newly elected representatives lasted only one year (except for those elected in 1906, whose terms lasted two years.
  8. The Republicans acquiesced to a Democratic President Pro Tempore, Irving H. Knudson, by unanimous consent. The Senate itself was organized on mostly bipartisan lines. [6]
  9. In district 45, Democratic Senator Harry Cook White was succeeded by Republican Richard V. Leo following a special election in 1933
  10. Numerous special elections resulted in a net gain of two seats for the Republicans by the time of the 1936 election.
  11. A Republican voted with the Democrats to elect a Democratic Speaker, LaMar Foster. Democrats were thus able to organize and control the House. [7]
  12. Democratic Senator Timothy Francis "T. F." Driscoll died in early 1937. Republican Stanley Lawrence Hart was elected to succeed him.
  13. Died in office.
  14. Resigned.
  15. Resigned after U.S. Senate confirmation as United States Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
  16. Resigned upon U.S. Senate confirmation to be the ambassador to China.
  17. Jon Dunwell won a special election in the 29th district on October 12, 2021, flipping it from Democratic to Republican.
  18. Republicans gained one seat as a result of the 2024 election, but they subsequently lost a different seat in a January 2025 special election.

References

  1. Upham, Cyril B. (1919). The Speaker of the House of Representatives in Iowa. University of Iowa. pp. 42–43.
  2. p. 47-53
  3. p. 82-88
  4. Upham, Cyril B. (1919). The Speaker of the House of Representatives in Iowa. University of Iowa. p. 43.
  5. p. 59
  6. p. 4-5, 74-77
  7. Journal of the House of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa. Iowa General Assembly. 1937. pp. 24–25.

Further reading

See also