Headline: Des Moines Register, 1/12/2026
Tim Webber reports:
Iowa Democrats ended 2025 on a high note, winning a Dec. 30 special election in Des Moines' western suburbs by a wider margin than during the presidential election.
That capped off a year in which Democrats won four of the six legislative special elections and ended Republicans’ supermajority in the Iowa Senate.
In five of those six special elections, Democrats overperformed by more than 20 percentage points compared with 2024.
They’ll look to build off the momentum going into the pivotal 2026 midterms that will include open races for governor and U.S. senator as well as regular Iowa congressional and Legislature elections.
Whether 2025's Democratic Party victories are bellwethers or blips will play out this year.
According to Merriam-Webster, the first-known use of 'shit show', as in something (such as an event or a situation) that is chaotic, contentious, or unpleasant to an excessive or absurd degree, occurred in 1976.
- idiotproof
- integrated pest management
- micromanage
- pooper-scooper
- skeevy
- 'tude
- wannabee
Related posts:
2026
12 years ago, Iowa U.S. Senator Joni Ernst announced to the world, "I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm!" Is this what she has to look forward to in retirement? (1/12)Will there be a carpetbagger clown on the Iowa ballot this year? Kari Lake fuels speculation. (1/8)
2025
