The 1903 Iowa State Senate elections were the last state legislative general elections held on an odd-numbered year. Iowa voters elected state senators in 29 of the state senate's 50 districts. State senators traditionally serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate. However, under the Biennial Elections law enacted in 1904 by the Iowa General Assembly, the senators elected in 1903 served an additional fifth year (until the 1908 elections) to accommodate the transition to holding elections on even-numbered years.
A statewide map of the 50 state Senate districts in the 1903 elections is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.
The 1903 elections occurred before primary elections were established in Iowa by the Primary Election Law in 1907. The general election took place on November 3, 1903.
Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa Senate with 39 seats to Democrats' 11 seats. However, during the twenty-ninth session of the Iowa General Assembly, the senators decided in March 1902 to decertify Democrat Joseph Martin Emmert of district eighteen and replace Emmert with Republican James E. Bruce, thus flipping the seat from Democratic to Republican control. Therefore, going into Election Day in 1903, Republicans held an advantage of 40 seats to Democrats' 10 seats.
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 16 Senate seats.
Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1903 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 42 seats and Democrats having 8 seats (a net gain of 2 seats for Republicans).
Summary of Results Note: The 21 holdover Senators not up for re-election are not listed on this table.
Senate DistrictIncumbent PartyElected Senator Party 2nd Henry H. Brighton Rep James Elerick Rep 3rd Claude R. Porter Dem Lewis Leroy Taylor Dem 4th Alexander Mardis Rep Richard Albert Hasselquist Rep 5th George S. Allyn Rep Marion Floyd Stookey Rep 6th Franklin L. Arthaud Rep Daniel Webster Turner Rep 8th Joseph McKenna Junkin Rep Shirley Gillilland Rep 11th William Bell Tallman Dem James Harvey Jamison Rep 14th Lucian C. Blanchard Rep William G. Jones Rep 15th Frederick Townsend Dem James L. Warren Rep 16th James Judson Crossley Rep James Judson Crossley Rep 17th Francis M. "Frank" Hopkins Rep Francis M. "Frank" Hopkins Rep 19th Arthur Sargent Hazelton Rep Charles George Saunders Rep 23rd Thomas Lambert Dem Thomas Lambert Dem 24th John T. Moffit Rep Robert C. Stirton Dem 25th George W. Ball Dem John Hughes Rep 26th Jeremiah Smyth Alexander Rep Willard Coldren Stuckslager Rep 27th Thomas D. Healy Rep Henry Young Rep 28th John B. Classen Rep Charles Eckles Rep 31st Joseph Andrew Fitchpatrick Rep Charles John Alfred Ericson Rep 32nd Elbert Hamilton Hubbard Rep John H. Jackson Rep 33rd Henry Joseph Griswold Rep George W. Dunham Rep 36th Hiram Crusan Bishop Dem Byron W. Newberry Rep 39th George M. Craig Rep John F. Wade Dem 40th James Henry Trewin Rep Archibald C. Wilson Rep 41st James Albert Smith Rep James Albert Smith Rep 43rd William F. Harriman Rep Abner H. Gale Rep 46th Alva C. Hobart Rep John L. Bleakly Rep 47th Edsil Walter Bachman Rep George Kinne Rep 49th George William Lister Rep William C. Kimmel Rep
Source:
Detailed Results NOTE: The 21 districts that did not hold elections in 1903 are not listed here. District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 8 • District 11 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 19 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 28 • District 31 • District 32 • District 33 • District 36 • District 39 • District 40 • District 41 • District 43 • District 46 • District 47 • District 49__NOTOC__
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 8
District 11
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 19
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 36
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 43
District 46
District 47
District 49
See also Elections in Iowa
References