If preliminary election results hold, women will represent at least a portion of 52 out of Iowa's 99 counties during the 83rd General Assembly.

If preliminary election results hold, women will represent at least a portion of 51 out of Iowa's 99 counties in the 83rd General Assembly.

The good news is that women will continue to hold roughly a quarter of the seats in the Iowa House and Senate. The bad news is that while Democratic women saw gains, Republican women dropped to less than 30 percent of all seats currently held by women.

Female candidates picked up three Democratic seats in the Senate, but lost three seats in the House, according to results released Thursday by the Iowa Secretary of State.

Overall, women will overall maintain 23 percent representation across both legislative branches — the highest Iowa has ever had. In the Iowa House, female representation drops from 28 to 25 percent. In the Senate, however, Democratic gains boost the percentage from 12 to 18 percent.

Comparing the 2006 elections to the 2008, Democratic women benefited the most. Democrats were able to maintain 18 women in the House, despite decisions by Swati Dandekar and Pam Jochum to pursue seats being vacated in the Senate.

Republicans, on the other hand, went from 10 women in 2006 to a potential of seven women representatives in the House for 2008. The losses are both a result of retirements — Sandy Greiner, Polly Granzow, Libby Jacobs and Carmine Boal — and the election loss of incumbent Tami Wiencek in Black Hawk county.

Iowa Democrats elected two new women to the House — Phyllis Thede in Scott County and Sharon Steckman in Cerro Gordo County. Iowa Republicans firmly elected newcomer Annette Sweeney to a district that spans all of Hardin and most of Marshall County. In one race that has not been decided, Renee Schulte, a second Republican newcomer, currently holds a 14-vote lead in Linn County.

Women in the Iowa House

District Legislator Party Notes
7 Marcella Frevert D Incumbent
8 Dolores Mertz D Incumbent, although the preliminary count shows her
winning this seat by 40 votes
12 Linda Upmeyer R Incumbent
13 Sharon Steckman D Seat was vacated by Republican Bill Schickel, and is a
pick-up for both women and the Democratic Party.
20 Doris Kelley D Incumbent
22 Deborah Berry D Incumbent, unopposed
26 Polly Bukta D Incumbent
37 Renee Schulte R Currently holding a 14-vote advantage over Democratic
incumbent Art Staed. If she hangs on it is a pick up for the Republicans
and for women.
39 Dawn Pettengill R Incumbent, although she won the seat in 2006 as a
Democrat
42 Geri Huser D Incumbent, unopposed
44 Annette Sweeney R Seat was vacated by Republican Polly Granzow
45 Beth Wessel-Kroeschell D Incumbent
46 Lisa Heddens D Incumbent, won with 79 percent of the vote
49 Helen Miller D Incumbent
61 Jo Oldson D Incumbent
64 Janet Petersen D Incumbent
73 Jodi Tymeson R Incumbent
76 Betty DeBoef R Incumbent
77 Mary Mascher D Incumbent, won with 81 percent of the vote
78 Vicki Lensing D Incumbent, unopposed
81 Phyllis Thede D Defeated Republican Jamie Van Fossen to switch the seat
from male to female
82 Linda Miller R Incumbent, unopposed
84 Elesha Gayman D Incumbent, was pushed over the top when absentee ballots
were added to election night totals
86 Cindy Winckler D Incumbent
93 Mary Gaskill D Incumbent, garnered 75 percent of the vote

In the Iowa Senate, Republican women held steady with three seats. Democratic women picked up three additional seats — Dandekar in Linn County, Jochum in Dubuque County and Mary Jo Wilhelm from Senate District 8 in the north eastern corner of the state.

The results used in this article are based on unofficial totals released by the Iowa Secretary of State on Nov. 13. Official results will not be available until after the state canvass on Monday, Nov. 24.

The lone Republican pick-up came from the southwestern corner of the state. Kim Reynolds was able to maintain Senate District 48 for Republicans in the wake of Jeff Angelo’s retirement.

Women in the Iowa Senate

District

Legislator

Party

Notes
7 Amanda Ragan D Not on 2008 ballot, incumbent
8 Mary Jo Wilhelm D Defeat of Minority Whip Mark Zieman changed this seat from Republican to Democratic control, and from male to female representation.
14 Pam Jochum D Jochum gave up her seat in Iowa House District 27 to pursue this Senate seat that was being vacated by Democrat Michael Connolly. Preliminary results show her garnering roughly 70 percent of the vote. If that holds, she will have the highest percentage of any of the women running in a contested race. Although her vacated House seat remained in Democratic hands, it is now occupied by a male legislator.
18 Swati Dandekar D Dandekar vacated House District 36 to launch a bid for this seat which was vacated by Republican Mary Lundby. Not only is Dandekar’s victory a notch in the female column, but also a pick-up for the Democrats. Dandekar was the first Indian American to be elected to any state legislature.
29 Nancy Boettger R Not on 2008 ballot, incumbent
30 Pat Ward R Ran unopposed on 2008 ballot, incumbent
37 Staci Appel D Not on 2008 ballot, incumbent
45 Becky Schmitz D Ran unopposed on 2008 ballot, incumbent
48 Kim Reynolds R Reynolds had to first win a primary before facing a female Democratic candidate in November. The seat was vacated by Republican Jeff Angelo.

Women will overall maintain 23 percent representation across both legislative branches — the highest Iowa has ever had. In the Iowa House, female representation drops from 28 to 25 percent. In the Senate, however, Democratic gains boost the percentage from 12 to 18 percent.