Voters chose Democrat Ivy Schuster and Republican Dawn Driscoll to face off in the general election for the District 38 State Senate seat in Tuesday’s primary. Schuster and Driscoll will be competing to replace Senator Tim Kapucian, who announced last year that he would not be seeking reelection.
Kapucian, a Republican, has held the seat since 2008.
On the Democratic side, Schuster won definitively, defeating Alvin Aragon with 83 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results.
On the Republican side, Driscoll defeated Garrett Dozark and Bruce Adams. Driscoll received 46 percent of the vote, with Dozark receiving 35 percent and Adams receiving 19 percent. In Poweshiek County, however, Driscoll and Dozark were neck and neck, with 455 and 461 votes, respectively.
The results released by the Poweshiek, Benton and Iowa County auditors Tuesday night are unofficial, and they may be subject to minor changes as ballots continue to be counted.
Schuster, who works at Grinnell College as a training specialist with Information Technology Services, told The S&B in a February interview that her campaign will prioritize women’s issues as well as affordable childcare.
Driscoll, from Williamsburg, Iowa, is a farmer and the current Iowa County Farm Bureau President. She has campaigned on ensuring safe drinking water for Iowans and shoring up the state’s mental health care system. She also argues that loosening work requirements across the state would encourage economic growth.
Past results indicate that Democrat Schuster will have an uphill climb to defeat Republican candidate Driscoll in the general election; Kapucian won the seat by nearly 26 percent in 2016.
Schuster and Driscoll weren’t the only winners on Tuesday night, though.
In the most closely watched race in Iowa, four Democrats vied for the chance to take on Senator Joni Ernst in the general election. Theresa Greenfield, who had been heavily favored to win, defeated her challengers with a comfortable 48 percent of the vote. The next closest candidate, Admiral Mike Franken, collected 25 percent.
In Poweshiek County, Greenfield won 52 percent of the vote.
Greenfield’s campaign has been endorsed by national organizations including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the progressive women’s organization EMILY’s List, as well as a slew of prominent Iowa Democrats.
Whoever wins Iowa’s Senate seat will help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Last month, analyst newsletter The Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.”
In the first Congressional District, Republican Ashley Hinson defeated Thomas Hansen and will now challenge first-term Democratic Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer in the general election. The race is rated as a “toss up” by The Cook Political Report.
Other primary races in Poweshiek County were uncontested. State Representative David Maxwell will face Democratic challenger Sarah Smith in the general election, as well as Kamal Hammouda, who is running as an independent.
Incumbent county supervisor Diana Dawley, a Democrat, will face Republican Kelly Bryan.
Poweshiek County Auditor Missy Eilander, a Republican, went unchallenged in the primary and will remain unchallenged in the general. Democratic Sheriff Thomas Kriegel also faced no challengers in the primary and will face none in the general.
