Catelin Drey hugged her young daughter when she won a special election for a spot in the Iowa Senate. A crowd of supporters, including family, friends and volunteers, erupted into applause upon hearing the news.
The 37-year-old Democrat won by 11 percentage points in a state Senate district that President Donald Trump carried by 10 points in 2024. Her win also took away a Republican supermajority in the Iowa Senate. Democrats will now control 17 seats, but Republicans still hold a majority with 33.
“The supermajority is no longer, and I think that is obviously great for the Democrats. But more importantly, it is great for the constituents across the state of Iowa who deserve to have their voices heard, who no longer will have to have unpopular policies shoved down their throat with no hope of a debate or conversation around a bill,” said Drey, who works for an advertising company in Sioux City and is the founder of the advocacy group Moms for Iowa.
Drey said her top priority is to address the affordability crisis in Iowa.
