The 1970 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1970 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in 27 of the state senate's 50 districts. Due to redistricting following the amending of the Iowa Constitution in 1968 mandating single-member districts, the Iowa Senate downsized from 61 to 50 members following the 1970 election. State senators typically serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.
The Iowa General Assembly provides statewide maps of each district. To compare the effect of the 1968 redistricting process on the location of each district, contrast the previous map with the map used for 1970 elections.
The primary election on June 2, 1970 determined which candidates appeared on the November 3, 1970 general election ballot. Primary election results can be obtained here. General election results can be obtained here.
Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate with 45 seats to Democrats' 16 seats. In June 1969, a special election in district 18 resulted in Sen. Orr flipping a seat in favor of the Democrats. Therefore, on election day in November 1970, Republicans controlled 44 seats and Democrats had 17.
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 9 Senate seats.
Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1970 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 38 seats and Democrats having 12 seats (a net loss of 6 seats for Republicans and loss of 5 seats for the Democrats).
Summary of Results The Iowa Constitution was amended in 1968 and required transitioning to single-member districts. Following the 1970 elections, the total number of state Senators fell from 61 to 50 members. 27 districts were up for election in 1970. An asterisk (*) after a Senator's name indicates they were an incumbent in a new district number due to redistricting. Italicized district numbers indicate holdover Senators who were not up for election in 1970, but were shifted to new district numbers in the middle of their terms. These districts did not hold elections in 1970. State Senate DistrictIncumbent PartyElected Senator Party 1st Wilson Lloyd Davis Rep Lucas DeKoster* Rep 2nd Charles George Mogged Rep Marvin Wesley Smith* Rep 3rd Donald Sherman McGill Dem Wayne D. Keith* Rep 4th Quentin V. Anderson Rep Herbert Luther "H.L." Ollenburg* Rep 5th James E. Briles Rep Vernon Kyhl* Rep 6th Earl G. Bass Rep George L. Shawver Rep 7th Robert R. Dodds Dem Floyd Gilley* Rep 8th Richard Lytle Stephens Rep S. J. Brownlee* Rep 9th Gene W. Glenn Dem Leigh Raymond Curran* Rep 10th Bass Van Gilst Dem Ralph Wilson Potter* Rep 11th Charles O. Laverty Rep Charles K. Sullivan* Rep 12th Glen E. Bortell Rep Alden J. Erskine* Rep13th Thomas J. Frey RepJohn Wesley GrahamRep James W. Griffin Rep 14th W. R. Rabedeaux Rep Arthur A. Neu* Rep15th Edward E. Nicholson RepC. Joseph Coleman*Dem Harold A. Thordsen Rep 16th Roger John Shaff Rep James A. Potgeter* Rep 17th Minnette Doderer Dem Rudy Van Drie Rep 18th Joann Yessler Orr Dem John L. Mowry* Rep 19th Eugene Marshall Hill Dem Francis L. Messerly* Rep20th William F. Denman DemW. Charlene Conklin*Rep Lee H. Gaudineer Dem George E. O'Malley Dem William D. Palmer Dem William J. "Bill" Reichardt Dem 21st Edwin Alan Shirley Dem Charles F. Balloun* Rep 22nd James F. Schaben Dem Cloyd E. Robinson Dem 23rd Clifton C. Lamborn Rep Tom Riley Rep24th Ernest Kosek RepClifton C. Lamborn*Rep Ralph Wilson Potter Rep Jesse Donald Weimer Dem 25th Charles F. Balloun Rep John M. Walsh* Rep 26th John L. Mowry Rep Gene V. Kennedy Dem 27th Pearle P. DeHart Rep James F. Schaben* Dem 28th R. Dean Arbuckle Rep R. Dean Arbuckle Rep 29th Arthur A. Neu Rep Reinhold O. Carlson Rep30th Andrew G. Frommelt DemWilliam D. Palmer*Dem John M. Walsh Rep 31st Kenneth Lawrence Parker Rep George F. Milligan Rep32nd W. Charlene Conklin RepLee H. Gaudineer*Dem Chester O. Hougen Rep Francis L. Messerly Rep 33rd James A. Potgeter Rep John E. Tapscott Dem 34th Hugh H. Clarke Rep Eugene Marshall Hill* Dem 35th C. Joseph Coleman Dem Minnette Doderer* Dem 36th Elmer F. Lange Rep W. R. Rabedeaux* Rep37th Alden J. Erskine RepRoger John Shaff*Rep Charles K. Sullivan Rep 38th Leslie C. Klink Rep Edward E. Nicholson* Rep 39th Floyd Gilley Rep Harold A. Thordsen* Rep 40th Robert R. Rigler Rep James W. Griffin* Rep 41st Vernon Kyhl Rep Earl G. Bass* Rep 42nd Leigh Raymond Curran Rep James E. Briles* Rep 43rd Herbert Luther "H.L." Ollenburg Rep John C. Rhodes Rep 44th Wayne D. Keith Rep Bass Van Gilst* Dem 45th S. J. Brownlee Rep Richard Lytle Stephens* Rep 46th J. Leslie Leonard Rep Charles Peter Miller Dem 47th J. Henry Lucken Rep Charles O. Laverty* Rep 48th Marvin Wesley Smith Rep Quentin V. Anderson* Rep 49th Lucas DeKoster Rep Gene W. Glenn* Dem 50thNewly created district Wilson Lloyd Davis* Rep
Source:
Detailed Results Reminder: A change to the Iowa Constitution required transitioning to all single-member districts from 1970 onward. District 6 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 16 • District 17 • District 19 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 29 • District 31 • District 33 • District 34 • District 36 • District 37 • District 38 • District 41 • District 43 • District 45 • District 46 • District 49 • District 50__NOTOC__ Note: If a district does not list a primary, then that district did not have a competitive primary (i.e., there may have only been one candidate file for that district).
District 6
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 16
District 17
District 19
District 21
District 22
Sen. Weimer did not take his seat in district 22 after winning re-election.
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 29
District 31
District 33
District 34
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 41
District 43
District 45
District 46
District 49
District 50
See also United States elections, 1970 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 1970 Elections in Iowa
References