Kirsten Running-Marquardt claimed roughly 78 percent of the votes in Tuesday’s special election in Iowa House District 33, keeping the seat in Democratic hands.

Kirsten Running-Marquardt

Kirsten Running-Marquardt

Running-Marquardt, the daughter of former state lawmaker Rich Running, will replace Dick Taylor, who had served in the Iowa House since a special election in 2000. Taylor resigned due to family health concerns in October.

Given the demographics of the district, which spans 11 precincts in Cedar Rapids, the Democrats were heavily favored going into Tuesday’s election. Republican candidate Joshua Thurston, a union member and military veteran, was a moderate choice for a traditionally conservative local Republican party, but he could not overcome the large registration advantage held by Democrats.

About 2,000 ballots were cast in the election, which is roughly 10 percent of the district’s registered voters.

Michael Kiernan, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, extended his congratulations to Running-Marquardt as well as House leadership shortly after unofficial results were released, noting that “Kirsten will not only be a fantastic public servant but also a dedicated partner” for Democratic legislators as they begin the next session in January.

This marks the second special election for an Iowa House seat in 2009. In both races, Democrats successfully defended districts they already held, leaving the majority with a fragile coalition of 56 members ahead of next year’s session.