1980 Iowa Senate election

1980 Iowa Senate election

← 1978 November 4, 1980 1982 →

25 out of 50 seats in the Iowa State Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Calvin Hultman Lowell Junkins
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat 49th 43rd
Last election 28 22
Seats before 29[a] 21
Seats after 29 21
Seat change Steady Steady

Majority Leader before election

Calvin Hultman
Republican

Elected Majority Leader

Calvin Hultman
Republican

The 1980 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1980 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in half of the state senate's districts—the 25 even-numbered state senate districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate, with half of the seats up for election each cycle. A statewide map of the 50 state Senate districts in the year 1980 is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.

The primary election on June 3, 1980, determined which candidates appeared on the November 4, 1980 general election ballot. Primary election results can be obtained here.[2] General election results can be obtained here.[3]

Following the previous elections in 1978, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate with 28 seats to Democrats' 22 seats. In 1979, Democratic Senator Earl Willits resigned and Republican Gary Baugher won a special election to fill the seat, thereby increasing Republicans' seats to 29.[a]

To take control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 5 Senate seats.

Republicans maintained their control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1980 general election with the balance of power remaining unchanged with Republicans holding 29 seats and Democrats having 21 seats after the election.

  1. ^ "4-year AIDS battle conquers lawyer Willits" (PDF). Iowa General Assembly. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "Primary Election 1980 Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "General Election 1980 Canvass Summary" (PDF). Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved April 22, 2020.


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