By Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register
Democrat Renee Hardman made history after winning the Iowa Senate District 16 seat to become Iowa’s first Black female senator, defeating Republican Lucas Loftin in a Dec. 30 special election to hold off a GOP supermajority.
Hardman earned 71.4% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State, to represent the district that includes parts of West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights — continuing a string of special election wins that have buoyed Iowa Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
The seat has been vacant since the death of Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, in October.
Hardman is the president and CEO of Lutheran Services of Iowa. She also made history as West Des Moines’ first Black City Council woman when she was elected in 2017.
At an election night party Tuesday in Valley Junction, Hardman, 64, said she felt a responsibility to live out the words on her campaign yard signs to be “a voice for all people” and give all Iowans equal opportunity to thrive, adequately fund public schools, make health care affordable and support small businesses.
“We ran to make life better for real people,” Hardman said. “I ran to fight for people like you.”
Hardman becomes the 17th Democrat in the Iowa Senate, holding Republicans at 33 members — one short of the 34 the GOP caucus would need to claw back their supermajority in the 50-member chamber.
It means Republicans would need at least one Democratic vote to confirm Gov. Kim Reynolds’ nominees to state agencies, boards and commissions. Iowa Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, told reporters her caucus will give all nominees the chance to explain themselves and make their decisions as a collective.
Hardman gathered with supporters to celebrate her win at The Tavern, a West Des Moines staple that was purchased in 1988 by Chuck Celsi, the late senator’s uncle.
“This one’s for you, Claire Celsi, my friend,” Weiner said. “And this one’s for you, Renee Hardman, for making history, for our future, for Iowa.”
Provided by Iowa Legislative Services Agency
Hardman recalled learning how to knock voters’ doors with Celsi’s support as she vowed to carry on her legacy, saying she has some “big shoes to fill” as she fights for working families.
“Claire led with courage,” Hardman said. “She loved this community fiercely. She fought for families, for working people and for you who just needed a chance. … We will continue the work she cared about so deeply. We will honor her legacy and we won’t give up the fight for a better Iowa that she started.”
She was met with cheers and applause as she reflected on being elected Iowa’s first African-American female state senator.
“I rest on the shoulders of my ancestors who fought the good fight and lost their lives so that I could serve,” Hardman said.
Hardman has vowed to advocate for working-class families like her own. She and her two sisters were raised by a single mother who juggled two jobs.
She also has said she wants to see public funds used for public education rather than the Republican-passed education savings account law, which gives Iowa families taxpayer-funded accounts to pay private school costs, regardless of income.
She said her campaign “was about whether families in this district can find child care that they can afford. Whether parents can take their kids to a doctor and trust that they will care for their needs. Whether seniors can live life with dignity and money still in their pockets. Whether workers can earn a fair wage and build a life for their families. Whether our public schools remain strong and well-funded.”
Hardman pointed to a track record of lowering property taxes and expanding access to affordable housing as a member of the West Des Moines City Council. She will resign from her council seat before assuming state office.
As Democrats have diminished Republicans’ grip on the Iowa Senate, Hardman said she will tap into her experience that she gained on the City Council working across party lines.
“We got to learn, listen and learn and lead and get the job done,” Hardman told reporters. “So we’re always going to have differences, but I’m going to approach them respectfully.”
Loftin, 42, was a proponent of limited government and lowering taxes.
Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann thanked Loftin for stepping up to run in a “tough district” for Republicans.
“Lucas’s campaign forced the Iowa Democrat Party to spend a significant amount of money in a district so blue there wasn’t a Republican candidate on the ballot last cycle,” Kaufmann said. “National Democrats even got involved and used their platform to fundraise across the country for his opponent. Although we fell short this time, the Republican Party of Iowa remains laser-focused on expanding our majorities in the Iowa Legislature and keeping Iowa ruby-red.”
Democrats cheered Hardman’s election and vowed to focus on affordability in 2026 campaigns after voters delivered wins in typically red seats, including Caitlin Drey’s supermajority-busting victory in Senate District 1 in Woodbury County and Mike Zimmer’s January win in District 35 spanning Clinton, Scott and Jackson counties.
“Look at Sioux City and look at Clinton,” Weiner said. “Those were comfortably red seats. Republicans assumed they had it in the bag until we chose candidates who were a great fit for their districts and we all did the work.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart applauded Hardman’s “well-run grassroots campaign focused on affordability.”
“Democrats will continue to focus on affordability, common sense, and a new direction for our state,” Hart said in a statement. “With candidates committed to their communities like Renee, Democrats are offering a new direction for Iowa in 2026!”
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin congratulated Hardman on her “historic victory” and said she will “fight tooth and nail to make Iowa more affordable.”
“Her victory ensures that Iowa Republicans will not have a supermajority in the Iowa Senate, a major check on Republican power that puts billionaires first,” Martin said in a statement. “With the last special election of the year now decided, one thing is clear: 2025 was the year of Democratic victories and overperformance, and Democrats are on track for big midterm elections.”
Stay in the know with stories that matter — visit HolaAmericaNews.com for the latest news, culture, and community updates!
Facebook Comments