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NEW: Longtime Swing State Has A GOP Supermajority For First Time In 50 Years

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As the once-unpredictable battlegrounds of the midwest continue to trend rightward at the national level, so too do some of the region’s state legislatures.

Iowa, both the launching pad and tomb of countless Republican candidates, once challenged Ohio for the position of most critical midwestern swing state. Today, the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes are united behind the GOP, and not just President-elect Donald Trump. The Iowa Republican Party has seen a swelling in its ranks as lawmakers on Wednesday declared that they had secured the first legislative supermajority in 54 years.

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“Iowa House Republicans have received a mandate from the people of Iowa,” wrote State Representative Austin Harris, whose district covers southern portions of the state. “We have a historic opportunity to think big and act boldly. And we will deliver!” The supermajority will allow Republicans to effectively govern unencumbered by bipartisan overtures or backroom dealmaking; instead, Republicans in the State Assembly and State Senate may pass party-line bills to the desk of Kim Reynolds, Iowa’s Republican governor, or override her veto if it comes to that.

Some of the final races making the outcome official were formalized in communities like Dubuque and Marshalltown where Democratic incumbents fell prey to a wave of MAGA votes who helped deliver 55.7% of the vote for Trump, the largest share for any presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1972. Before the November 5th election, Republicans had already secured a supermajority in the state Senate, where they still added two seats. In the House, Republicans held 64 of the 100 seats heading into Election Day, 5 News reported. Now, the party appears to have taken three more seats after all votes were counted.

“Every time there’s been a general election, special election, we’ve decided we wanted to pick up seats every time,” Speaker of the House Pat Grassley said at the Iowa Republicans Election Day watch party. “So I hope that’s OK with you all across the state of Iowa. All incumbents were re-elected, and how does the number 67 House Republicans sound to everybody?”

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Timothy Hagle, a University of Iowa political science associate professor, told the outlet that Gov. Reynolds stands to benefit as well thanks to a supermajority in the Senate which can help expedite some political appointments. “In our case, for the governor to make certain appointments, it requires a two-thirds confirmation in the state Senate,” he said. “If you don’t have supermajority control, then that would mean you would need some bipartisan support.”
Republicans have dominated the capital city of Des Moines since 2015, ushering in a slew of conservative priorities from voting rights securitization measures to religious freedom bills.


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