Iowa Statehouse Control

Republicans
and Democrats will have to share power in the Iowa Senate because each
party will have 25 seats in 2005. Republicans will continue to control
the Iowa House, but with no votes to spare.



SENATE: Republicans
went from a 29-21 advantage to a 25-25 tie with Democrats. The net gain
for Democrats was four seats.  [Plus, one Republican senator,
Chuck Larson of Cedar Rapids, is on Army Reserve duty in Iraq and not
expected to return until February.  The shared control ought to
improve the Iowa legislative situation considerably since a major
stumbling block to progress in the past session was the right-wing
senate leadership.  And, as you will recall, one right-wing senate
leader, Ken Veenstra, lost his own primary, having been ousted by the
more moderate Dave Mulder, so that is one less extreme right-winger on the Republican side to boot.]



HOUSE: Republicans went from a 54-46 advantage to a 51-49 edge. Democrats gained three seats but will remain in the minority.



GOVERNOR: Democratic incumbent Tom Vilsack has two years left of his second term.