Iowa State Senate District 1 special election, 2025

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Catelin Drey (D) defeated Christopher Prosch (R) in the special general election for Iowa state Senate District 1 on August 26, 2025. The previous incumbent, Rocky De Witt (R), died on June 25, 2025.

Leading up to the election, Republicans had a 33-16 majority in the Iowa Senate with one vacancy. Drey's win resulted in a 33-17 Republican majority in the Senate, one seat short of a two-thirds supermajority.

In Iowa, the governor appoints department and agency heads and other non-elected state officials. The governor’s appointments are generally subject to Senate approval and require a two-thirds majority vote to be confirmed. Among the appointed positions requiring Senate approval are the Commissioner of Insurance, Director of Education, Director of Natural Resources, and the Iowa Utilities Board. Click here to learn more about Iowa’s state executives.

Drey was a marketing executive and founder of the group Moms for Iowa, which described itself as a grassroots organization focused on "curbing gun violence and championing women's reproductive rights." Drey said her top priority was to increase state education funding in the district. Other priorities listed on Drey's campaign website included "Affordable, accessible childcare," "Bodily Autonomy," and "Economic mobility."

Prosch was the owner of a media consulting firm in Sioux City. On his campaign website, Prosch described himself as "a principled, common sense conservative" who "believes in limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the traditional family values that have always been the bedrock of our community." Prosch said his top priority was to eliminate the state income tax. Other priorities listed on his campaign website included "Securing the Border & Ending Illegal Immigration," "Empowering Parents & Prioritizing Education," "and "Protecting the Unborn."

This was the fourth special state legislative election in Iowa in 2025.

Before the election, The Downballot's David Nir and Jeff Singer wrote, "The district has bounced back and forth in recent years, with Democrats flipping it in 2018 only to give it right back four years later. In 2024, it supported Donald Trump by a 55-44 margin, but Democrats are hopeful about their chances given their strong overperformances in three other Iowa special elections this year."

The other three special state legislative elections in Iowa this year were in Senate District 35, House District 78, and House District 100. Democrats gained one seat in the Senate after they won in Senate District 35 and retained control in House District 78. Republicans retained control in House District 100.

At the time of the election, Republicans also had a majority in the Iowa General Assembly, and Gov. Kim Reynolds was a Republican, meaning Iowa had a Republican trifecta.

Candidates and election results

See also: Iowa State Senate District 1 special election, 2025

A special election for Iowa State Senate District 1 was called for August 26, 2025. The candidate filing deadline was August 1, 2025.

The seat became vacant after Rocky De Witt (R) passed away on June 25, 2025.

General election

Special general election for Iowa State Senate District 1

Catelin Drey defeated Christopher Prosch in the special general election for Iowa State Senate District 1 on August 26, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Catelin Drey (D)	55.2	4,208
		Christopher Prosch (R)	44.8	3,411

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	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 7,619
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Voting information

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: August 26, 2025
• By mail: Received by August 11, 2025
• Online: August 11, 2025

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline? The deadline to request an absentee ballot was August 11, 2025.

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: August 26 at 8 p.m.
• By mail: Received by August 26 at 8 p.m.

Was early voting available to all voters? Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates? August 6- August 25

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required? Yes, non-photo ID required

When were polls open on Election Day? 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Catelin Drey

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Drey earned bachelor's degrees in photography and Spanish from Morningside University in 2010. Her professional experience included working in marketing, customer service, and financial services. Drey also founded a photography business and the group Moms for Iowa.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Drey ran on her career and policy experience. Her campaign website said, "I’ve had a lot of jobs, from child welfare to financial services and I’ve seen policy failures up close. I’m the founder of Moms for Iowa, a grassroots initiative making public policy accessible for busy Iowa parents, and I’ve served on local boards and statewide political committees. All of these experiences have solidified one thing about me - I am on this earth to be of service to others."

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On education, Drey said, "We know that education funding is a top priority. We are considered a property tax poor district, which means two and a half properties in Sioux City make up the same value for one property in other similarly-sized districts. ... We need a state supplemental aid budget that keeps pace with or exceeds inflation and that's number one for me."

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On affordability, Drey said, "The number one thing I am hearing from voters right now is that we have an affordability crisis in Iowa. I’m running because if we want Iowa to be successful, we have to start making childcare, housing and healthcare, more accessible and affordable."

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Show sources

Sources: Catelin Drey 2025 campaign Facebook, "Drey for Iowa," accessed August 12, 2025;Catelin Drey 2025 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 12, 2024;KTIV, "KTIV interviews Catelin Drey, Democrat running for Iowa State Senate District 1," August 6, 2025; LinkedIn, "Catelin Drey," accessed August 12, 2025

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Iowa State Senate District 1 in 2025.

Christopher Prosch

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Prosch was the founder and owner of Felix Strategies, a media consulting firm in Sioux City. His other experience included being an usher at Cornerstone church, a tutor for college students, and a Trail Life mentor.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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On his campaign website, Prosch described himself as "a principled, common sense conservative" who "believes in limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the traditional family values that have always been the bedrock of our community."

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Prosch ran on his experience as a business owner. His campaign website said, "Running a business has given Christopher a unique perspective on the challenges facing our state. He understands the pressures of the marketplace and has developed a 'concierge mindset,' always ready to serve his clients—a skill he is eager to bring to the Iowa Senate to serve his constituents."

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Prosch said his top priority was eliminating the state income tax. His campaign website said he "knows that for Sioux City to compete with neighboring communities in South Dakota and Nebraska, Iowa must eliminate its income tax and create an economic environment where businesses and families can thrive."

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Show sources

Sources: Christopher Prosch 2025 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 12, 2025;KTIV, "KTIV interviews Christopher Prosch, Republican running for Iowa State Senate District 1," August 7, 2025; Christopher Prosch 2025 campaign website, "About," accessed August 12, 2025

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Iowa State Senate District 1 in 2025.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign ads

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Catelin Drey

View more ads here:

• Facebook

Christopher Prosch

View more ads here:

• Facebook

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

• Catelin Drey

Election spending

Campaign finance

Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. Click here to access those reports.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

District analysis

District map

Republicans won control of the Iowa State Senate in 2016. In 2024, they won a 34-16 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Iowa Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Iowa State Senate election results: 1992-2024

Year	'92	'94	'96	'98	'00	'02	'04	'06	'08	'10	'12	'14	'16	'18	'20	'22	'24
Democrats	26	27	21	20	20	21	25*	30	32	27	26	26	20	18	18	16	15
Republicans	24	23	29	30	30	29	25*	20	18	23	23	24	29	31	32	34	35

*The parties entered into a power-sharing agreement to accommodate the evenly-divided chamber.

Before 1992

The Iowa State Senate switched partisan control 10 times from 1900 to 2022.

Trifecta history

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2025, Iowa was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: 2007-2010
• Republican trifecta: 1997-1998, 2017-2025
• Divided government: 1992-1996, 1999-2006, 2011-2016

Iowa Party Control: 1992-2025
Four years of Democratic trifectas  •  Eleven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	S	S	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Election context

Ballot access requirements

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Iowa

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

The Iowa Constitution states, "Senators shall be chosen for the term of four years, at the same time and place as representatives; they shall be twenty-five years of age, and possess the qualifications of representatives as to residence and citizenship."

District history

2022

See also: Iowa State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Iowa State Senate District 1

Rocky De Witt defeated incumbent Jackie Smith in the general election for Iowa State Senate District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rocky De Witt (R)	55.1	7,700
		Jackie Smith (D)	44.7	6,256
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	30

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,986
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Iowa State Senate District 1

Incumbent Jackie Smith advanced from the Democratic primary for Iowa State Senate District 1 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jackie Smith	100.0	1,554

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,554
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Iowa State Senate District 1

Rocky De Witt advanced from the Republican primary for Iowa State Senate District 1 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rocky De Witt	98.9	2,214
		Other/Write-in votes	1.1	24

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,238
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2021

See also: Iowa state legislative special elections, 2021

A special election for District 1 of the Iowa State Senate was called for December 14, 2021. Candidates running for special elections in Iowa are selected by their respective political parties in conventions. The candidate filing deadline was November 19, 2021.

The seat became vacant after Zach Whiting (R) resigned on October 30, 2021, to take a job with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

General election

Special general election for Iowa State Senate District 1

Dave Rowley defeated Mark Lemke in the special general election for Iowa State Senate District 1 on December 14, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dave Rowley (R)	75.6	2,690
	Submit photo	Mark Lemke (D)	24.3	864
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	5

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,559
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Barb Clayton (R)

2018

See also: Iowa State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Iowa State Senate District 1

Zach Whiting won election in the general election for Iowa State Senate District 1 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Zach Whiting (R)	98.2	21,245
		Other/Write-in votes	1.8	384

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,629
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Iowa State Senate District 1

Zach Whiting defeated Brad Price and Jesse Wolfe in the Republican primary for Iowa State Senate District 1 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Zach Whiting	62.4	3,539
	Submit photo	Brad Price	22.7	1,288
	Submit photo	Jesse Wolfe	14.9	844

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 5,671
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Iowa State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Iowa State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014. Incumbent David Johnson was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.

2010

See also: Iowa State Senate elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Iowa State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 8, 2010, and a general election on November 2, 2010. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 19, 2010. Rick Bertrand (R) defeated Rick Mullin (D) in the general election. Neither candidate faced opposition in their primary.

Iowa State Senate, District 1, General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Rick Bertrand	50.7%	7,581
	Democratic	Rick Mullin	49.3%	7,359
Total Votes				14,940

2025 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This is a battleground election. Other 2025 battleground elections include:

• Mayoral election in Omaha, Nebraska (2025)
• Virginia gubernatorial election, 2025
• Virginia gubernatorial election, 2025 (June 17 Republican primary)

See also

Suggest a link

• Iowa State Legislature
• Iowa State Senate
• Iowa House of Representatives
• Iowa state legislative districts

External links

• The Iowa State Legislature

Footnotes

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