Republican Jon Dunwell has won a special election for House Seat 29 in the Iowa Legislature. Dunwell defeated Democrat Steve Mullan. The victory marks the first time the seat has been flipped from one party to another in 46 years.
In a statement released to the public after his victory, Dunwell said,
“Grateful. That is the feeling overwhelming me this evening after becoming the newly elected representative of House District 29. Thank you, Jasper County, for putting your faith in me to be your voice in the Iowa Statehouse. Throughout this campaign, I have had the honor of hearing from so many of you. Those who agreed with me and those who offered opposing viewpoints. I have learned so much and am eager to get to work representing each and every one of you. I have dedicated my life to making an impact in my community, and I’ll take that same attitude to my service at the Capitol.”
Unofficial totals at the nine polling sites show 1,890 votes for Mullan and 2,820 for Dunwell.
Congratulations to Jon Dunwell for becoming the newly elected representative for House District 29. Jon will be a great voice for Jasper County. I look forward to having him in our caucus. #IALegis #IAPolitics https://t.co/OPTAPMqw5a
— Speaker Pat Grassley (@PatGrassley) October 13, 2021
Many praised the leadership of Speaker Pat Grassley for his and his team’s work in helping to deliver the victory.
“Congratulations to Jon Dunwell for becoming the newly elected representative for House District 29. Jon will be a great voice for Jasper County. I look forward to having him in our caucus. Jon has flipped a seat held by Democrats for decades.
This is further confirmation that Iowans are resoundingly rejecting the liberal policies coming from DC and influencing the Democratic Party in Iowa. They know Republicans are the leaders who listen to their concerns, take action on their priorities and deliver on our campaign promises. That is why Iowans continue to elect Republicans and grow our majority in the Iowa House.”
GOP legislative pickup in Iowa. Seat went 59/41 Dem in 2018 cycle. Dems had held it for decades. https://t.co/FHLO0donQA
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 13, 2021
Governor Kim Reynolds also praised the win.
“Congratulations to Jon Dunwell on a hard-fought victory. I look forward to working with you to make our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
“Iowans have spoken loud and clear in these last two special elections about the direction we are taking the state. Candidates who stood strongly for parental choice, personal responsibility, and pro-growth policies were successful. And we are just getting started.”
“We have an incredible opportunity to keep up that momentum heading into this November’s Elections, but we can only do that if we show up and vote.”
Dunwell’s win marks the second time this fall that Republicans have won a special election. The first was Michael Bousselot’s win in Ankeny. The successes indicate a promising midterm election’s for the GOP next year in 2022.
