1998 Iowa Senate election

1998 Iowa Senate election

← 1996 November 3, 1998 2000 →

25 out of 50 seats in the Iowa State Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Mary Kramer Michael Gronstal
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat 37th 42nd
Last election 29 21
Seats before 28 22[a]
Seats after 30 20
Seat change Increase2 Decrease2

President of the Senate before election

Mary Kramer
Republican

Elected President of the Senate

Mary Kramer
Republican

The 1998 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1998 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in half of the state senate's districts—the 25 odd-numbered state senate districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate, with half of the seats up for election each cycle. A statewide map of the 50 state Senate districts in the year 1998 is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.

The primary election on June 2, 1998, determined which candidates appeared on the November 3, 1998 general election ballot. Primary election results can be obtained here.[2] General election results can be obtained here.[3]

Following the previous election in 1996, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate with 29 seats to Democrats' 21 seats. In a special election in District 13 in 1997 to fill a vacancy created by Sen. Jim Lind's (R) resignation, Democratic candidate Patricia M. "Pat" Harper (D) flipped the seat for her party. Therefore, on election day 1998, Republicans held 28 seats to Democrats' 22.

To reclaim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 4 Senate seats.

Republicans strengthened their control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1998 general election by netting two seats, resulting in Republicans holding 30 seats and Democrats having 20 seats after the election.

Summary of Results

[edit]
  • NOTE: The 25 even-numbered districts did not have elections in 1998 so they are not listed here.
State Senate District Incumbent Party Elected Senator Party
1st Steven D. Hansen Dem Steven D. Hansen Democratic
3rd Wilmer Rensink Rep Kenneth Veenstra Republican
5th Mary Lou Freeman Rep Mary Lou Freeman Republican
7th Rod Halvorson Dem Mike Sexton Republican
9th Stewart Iverson Rep Stewart Iverson Republican
11th John Jensen Rep John Jensen Republican
13th Patricia M. "Pat" Harper Dem Patricia M. "Pat" Harper Democratic
15th Allen Borlaug Rep Betty A. Soukup Democratic
17th Thomas L. Flynn Dem Thomas L. Flynn Democratic
19th Sheldon L. Rittmer Rep Sheldon L. Rittmer Republican
21st Maggie Tinsman Rep Maggie Tinsman Republican
23rd Mary Neuhauser Dem Joe Bolkcom Democratic
25th Robert Dvorsky Dem Robert Dvorsky Democratic
27th Wally Horn Dem Wally Horn Democratic
29th Dennis Black Dem Dennis Black Democratic
31st Johnie Hammond Dem Johnie Hammond Democratic
33rd William D. Palmer Dem Jeff Lamberti Republican
35th Dick Dearden Dem Dick Dearden Democratic
37th Mary Kramer Rep Mary Kramer Republican
39th Jo Ann M. Douglas Rep Jo Ann M. Johnson[b] Republican
41st Nancy Boettger Rep Nancy Boettger Republican
43rd Derryl McLaren Rep Derryl McLaren Republican
45th Bill Fink Dem Bill Fink Democratic
47th Donald Gettings Dem David P. Miller Republican
49th Tom Vilsack Dem Mark Shearer Democratic

Source:[4]

Detailed Results

[edit]
  • Reminder: Only odd-numbered Iowa Senate seats were up for election in 1998; therefore, even-numbered seats did not have elections in 1998 & are not shown.

District 1District 3District 5District 7District 9District 11District 13District 15District 17District 19District 21District 23District 25District 27District 29District 31District 33District 35District 37District 39District 41District 43District 45District 47District 49

  • Note: If a district does not list a primary, then that district did not have a competitive primary (i.e., there may have only been one candidate file for that district).

District 1

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 1 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steven D. Hansen (incumbent) 8,421 61.2
Republican Kathleen Hoffmann 5,337 38.8
Total votes 13,758 100.0
Democratic hold

District 3

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 3 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kenneth Veenstra 15,040 100.0
Total votes 15,040 100.0
Republican hold

District 5

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 5 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mary Lou Freeman (incumbent) 13,389 100.0
Total votes 13,389 100.0
Republican hold

District 7

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 7 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Sexton 9,245 51.5
Democratic Rod Halvorson (incumbent) 8,712 48.5
Total votes 17,957 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 9

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 9 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Stewart Iverson (incumbent) 12,472 66.4
Democratic Jim Murra 6,300 33.6
Total votes 18,772 100.0
Republican hold

District 11

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 11 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John W. Jensen (incumbent) 14,957 100.0
Total votes 14,957 100.0
Republican hold

District 13

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 13 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Patricia Harper (incumbent) 10,469 63.6
Republican Mike Lanigan 5,998 36.4
Total votes 16,467 100.0
Democratic hold

District 15

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 15 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Betty Soukup 10,453 50.3
Republican Allen Borlaug (incumbent) 10,324 49.7
Total votes 20,777 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

District 17

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 17 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Flynn (incumbent) 13,067 100.0
Total votes 13,067 100.0
Democratic hold

District 19

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 19 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Sheldon L. Rittmer (incumbent) 10,586 100.0
Total votes 10,586 100.0
Republican hold

District 21

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 21 Republican Primary Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Maggie Tinsman (incumbent) 2,931 42.5
Republican Philip B. Allen, Jr. 2,650 47.5
Total votes 5,581 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 21 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Maggie Tinsman (incumbent) 12,550 67.8
Democratic Tommy Jacobson 5,960 32.2
Total votes 18,510 100.0
Republican hold

District 23

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 23 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joe Bolkcom 12,513 100.0
Total votes 12,513 100.0
Democratic hold

District 25

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 25 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert Dvorsky (incumbent) 13,301 64.4
Republican Mary Louise Howard 7,368 35.6
Total votes 20,669 100.0
Democratic hold

District 27

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 27 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wally Horn (incumbent) 13,653 100.0
Total votes 13,653 100.0
Democratic hold

District 29

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 29 Republican Primary Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bruce Rhoads 1,675 62.1
Republican Joseph R. Hudson 552 20.5
Republican Rick Phillips 470 17.4
Total votes 2,697 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 29 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dennis Black (incumbent) 12,642 60.6
Republican Bruce Rhoads 8,216 39.4
Total votes 20,858 100.0
Democratic hold

District 31

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 31 Republican Primary Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Norman A. Luiken 1,735 70.3
Republican Jerry Litzel 733 29.7
Total votes 2,468 100.0
Iowa Senate, District 31 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Johnie Hammond (incumbent) 9,428 55.6
Republican Norman A. Luiken 7,524 44.4
Total votes 16,952 100.0
Democratic hold

District 33

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 33 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jeff Lamberti 17,147 84.5
Reform Alan Palmer 3,146 15.5
Total votes 20,293 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 35

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 35 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dick Dearden (incumbent) 10,538 71.6
Republican Bert Wagoner, Jr. 4,172 28.4
Total votes 14,710 100.0
Democratic hold

District 37

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 37 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mary Kramer (incumbent) 13,194 51.6
Democratic Bill Reichardt 12,136 47.4
Reform Eric William Gunderson 246 1.0
Total votes 25,576 100.0
Republican hold

District 39

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 39 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jo Ann Douglas (incumbent)[b] 13,708 56.6
Democratic Brent A. Halling 10,513 43.4
Total votes 24,221 100.0
Republican hold

District 41

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 41 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Nancy Boettger (incumbent) 12,082 68.5
Democratic John L. Jensen 5,560 31.5
Total votes 17,642 100.0
Republican hold

District 43

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 43 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Derryl McLaren (incumbent) 13,685 100.0
Total votes 13,685 100.0
Republican hold

District 45

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 45 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bill Fink (incumbent) 10,988 56.7
Republican Larry L. Hughes 8,387 43.3
Total votes 19,375 100.0
Democratic hold

District 47

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 47 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David P. Miller 9,788 50.1
Democratic Dan Gullion 8,530 43.6
Natural Law Jonas Magram 1,236 6.3
Total votes 19,554 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

District 49

[edit]
Iowa Senate, District 49 General Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark Shearer 10,045 53.1
Republican Richard Garrels 8,881 46.9
Total votes 18,926 100.0
Democratic hold
  1. ^ In district 13, Sen. Lind (R) resigned and Sen. Harper (D) won a special election in 1997 to flip the seat to her party.[1]
  2. ^ a b This is the same Senator, she just changed her last name.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The ins and outs of the Iowa legislature: Harper's back, and she likes it".
  2. ^ "Primary Election 1998 Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  3. ^ "General Election 1998 Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  4. ^ "Legislators". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved April 9, 2020.