The 1968 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1968 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in 33 of the state senate's 61 districts. At this time, the Iowa Senate still had several multi-member districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.
A statewide map of the 61 state Senate districts in the year 1968 is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.
The primary election on September 3, 1968, determined which candidates appeared on the November 5, 1968 general election ballot. Primary election results can be obtained here. General election results can be obtained here.
Following the previous election, Democrats had control of the Iowa state Senate with 32 seats to Republicans' 29 seats.
To claim control of the chamber from Democrats, the Republicans needed to net 2 Senate seats.
Republicans flipped control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1968 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 45 seats and Democrats having 16 seats (a net gain of 16 seats for Republicans).
Summary of Results Note: The 28 holdover Senators not up for re-election are listed here with asterisks (*). A list of these holdover state senators is provided here.
State Senate DistrictIncumbent PartyIncoming Senator Party 1st Seeley G. Lodwick* Rep Seeley G. Lodwick* Rep 2nd Max E. Reno Dem Charles G. Mogged Rep 3rd Donald Sherman McGill Dem Donald Sherman McGill Dem 4th Franklin S. Main Dem Quentin V. Anderson Rep 5th James E. Briles Rep James E. Briles Rep 6th Charles Vernon "Vern" Lisle* Rep Charles Vernon "Vern" Lisle* Rep 7th Robert R. Dodds* Dem Robert R. Dodds* Dem 8th Richard Lytle Stephens* Rep Richard Lytle Stephens* Rep 9th Gene W. Glenn* Dem Gene W. Glenn* Dem 10th Bass Van Gilst Dem Bass Van Gilst Dem 11th Stanley M. Heaberlin Dem Charles O. Laverty Rep 12th Joseph B. Flatt Rep Joseph B. Flatt Rep13th Thomas J. "T. J." Frey* Rep Thomas J. "T. J." Frey* Rep Gilbert E. Klefstad Dem Jim Griffin Rep 14th David M. Stanley* Rep David M. Stanley* Rep15th Joseph W. Cassidy Dem Edward E. Nicholson* Rep Roger W. Jepsen Rep Harold A. Thordsen Rep 16th Roger John Shaff* Rep Roger John Shaff* Rep 17th Robert J. Burns Dem Minnette Doderer Dem 18th Kenneth Benda* Rep Kenneth Benda* Rep 19th Eugene Marshall Hill* Dem Eugene Marshall Hill* Dem20th Howard Reppert Dem William D. Palmer Dem George E. O'Malley* Dem George E. O'Malley* Dem William F. Denman* Dem William F. Denman* Dem Lee H. Gaudineer Dem Lee H. Gaudineer Dem William J. "Bill" Reichardt* Dem William J. "Bill" Reichardt* Dem 21st Edwin Alan Shirley Dem Edwin Alan Shirley Dem 22nd James F. Schaben Dem James F. Schaben Dem 23rd Clifton C. Lamborn* Rep Clifton C. Lamborn* Rep24th John M. Ely Dem Ralph Wilson Potter Rep Ernest Kosek* Rep Ernest Kosek* Rep Tom Riley Rep Jesse Donald "J. Don" Weimer Dem 25th Charles F. Balloun* Rep Charles F. Balloun* Rep 26th Max Milo Mills Rep John L. Mowry Rep 27th Pearle P. DeHart* Rep Pearle P. DeHart* Rep 28th Warren J. Kruck Dem R. Dean Arbuckle Rep 29th Arthur A. Neu* Rep Arthur A. Neu* Rep30th Andrew G. Frommelt* Dem Andrew G. Frommelt* Dem John M. Walsh* Rep John M. Walsh* Rep 31st John W. Patton Dem Kenneth Lawrence Parker Rep32nd Francis L. Messerly* Rep Francis L. Messerly* Rep Chester O. Hougen* Rep Chester O. Hougen* Rep Gene F. Condon Dem W. Charlene Conklin Rep 33rd James A. Potgeter* Rep James A. Potgeter* Rep 34th Hugh H. Clarke* Rep Hugh H. Clarke* Rep 35th C. Joseph Coleman Dem C. Joseph Coleman Dem 36th Elmer F. Lange* Rep Elmer F. Lange* Rep37th Charles S. Van Eaton Rep Charles K. Sullivan Rep Alden J. Erskine* Rep Alden J. Erskine* Rep 38th Adolph W. Elvers Dem Leslie C. Klink Rep 39th Hilarius Louis "H. L." Heying Dem Floyd Gilley Rep 40th Robert R. Rigler* Rep Robert R. Rigler* Rep 41st Vernon Kyhl Rep Vernon Kyhl Rep 42nd Delbert W. Floy Dem Leigh Raymond Curran Rep 43rd John L. Buren Dem Herbert Luther "H.L." Ollenburg Rep 44th Donald W. Murray Dem Wayne D. Keith Rep 45th John P. "Jack" Kibbie Dem Walter B. Hammer Rep 46th Merle W. Hagedorn Dem J. Leslie Leonard Rep 47th J. Henry Lucken Rep J. Henry Lucken Rep 48th H. Kenneth Nurse Dem Marvin Wesley Smith Rep 49th Lucas DeKoster Rep Lucas DeKoster Rep
Source:
Detailed Results 33 of the 61 Iowa Senate seats were up for election in 1968. District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 15 • District 17 • District 20 • District 21 • District 24 • District 26 • District 28 • District 31 • District 32 • District 35 • District 37 • District 38 • District 39 • District 41 • District 42 • District 43 • District 44 • District 45 • District 46 • District 47 • District 48 • District 49__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 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13 The 13th was a 2-member district in 1968. The first subdistrict had a holdover Senator.
District 15 The 15th was a 2-member district in 1968. Both subdistricts held elections.
District 17
District 20 The 20th was a 5-member district in 1968. Subdistricts Nos. 2, 3, & 5 had holdover Senators. Subdistricts Nos. 1 & 4 held elections.
District 21
District 24 The 24th was a 3-member district in 1968. Subdistrict No. 2 had a holdover Senator. Subdistricts Nos. 1 & 3 held elections.
District 26
District 28
District 31
District 32 The 32nd was a 3-member district in 1968. Subdistricts Nos. 1 & 2 had holdover Senators. Subdistrict No. 3 held an election.
District 35
District 37 The 37th was a 2-member district in 1968. Subdistrict No. 2 had a holdover Senator. Subdistrict No. 1 held an election.
District 38
District 39
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
See also United States elections, 1968 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 1968 Elections in Iowa
References