All it took was the first open U.S. Senate seat in Iowa since 1968 and a 37-second video. Joni Ernst will be Iowa’s first female Senator and first woman elected to Congress from a continually shrinking Iowa delegation. (In 1968, when Harold Hughes won that open seat, Iowa had seven House seats.)
Meanwhile, in the U.S. House races, two open seats — another rarity, and now half of Iowa’s House contingent — both went to Republicans. It was the first election with two open seats since 1986. Iowa’s overall delegation has flipped from 4-3 D in 2010 to 5-1 R in 2015.
Then there’s that ominous rumble…
Bring on the #IowaCaucuses! #DSM to become the epicenter of the national political scene for the next 16 months! http://t.co/apRrusPH3v
— Jay Byers (@jaybyers) November 5, 2014