Republicans have retained a seat in the Iowa House vacant since January after former Rep. Martin Graber unexpectedly died of a heart attack.
Republican Blaine Watkins, a legislative aide to Sen. Jeff Reichman, R-Montrose, from Lee County, beat Democrat Nannette Griffin in a special election Tuesday night to represent Iowans in House District 100.
The district covers most of Lee County, including Keokuk, Fort Madison and Donnellson.
According to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, Watkins won 52% of the vote and Griffin received 48%. Watkins’ win keeps the Iowa House Republicans’ 67-33 supermajority.
He will serve out the remainder of Graber’s term, which runs through 2026. Watkins said in a statement he is grateful for the opportunity to follow behind Graber’s time in the Iowa Legislature.
“During this race, I vowed to be a common-sense, solution-oriented leader for Southeast Iowa in the Statehouse,” Watkins said. “I’ll work hard to lower taxes, keep good-paying jobs in Lee County, and ensure students receive a strong education. I’m eager and ready to get to work on behalf of the people of this district.”Watkins graduated from Grand View University in December 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government, according to his LinkedIn page. He’s a fifth-generation Iowan and resides on his family’s farm outside of Donnellson.
House Speaker Pat Grassley said in a statement the Republican victory proves Watkins’ track record and is another example of Iowans supporting Republicans’ agenda of “common sense, lower taxes and spending, and freedom.”
“Losing Rep. Graber unexpectedly was devastating to our caucus, but today we are proud to welcome a committed, common-sense leader to the Iowa House,” Grassley said. “We know he will fill his shoes well and be the voice of Lee County in the Iowa House.”
Iowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann wrote in a post on X congratulating Watkins on his victory.
“Iowans have spoken, and they chose a strong conservative leader who will fight for our values in Des Moines,” Kaufmann wrote. “Excited to see the great work he’ll do for his district and our state.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds also said in a statement that she’s excited to work with Watkins to “lower taxes, protect our communities, defend parents and grow Iowa’s economy.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement that as long as candidates like Griffin are stepping up to run, the race shows Democrats “are gaining significant ground in Republican districts before the midterms.”
“Tonight, Nannette Griffin proved Democrats are on their way back — performing competitively in a district that Donald Trump won by 27 points,” Hart said. “Democrats from across the state came together and knocked on doors, made phone calls and worked hard, and tonight’s results show their efforts moved the needle in HD-100.
“I’d like to thank Nannette for her willingness to step into a leadership role in the community where she has lived, raised her family and started and successfully run her own small business.”
The special election marks the second vacated seat to fill this year after Democrat Mike Zimmer flipped a Republican seat in Senate District 35 in a special election in January to fill Chris Cournoyer’s open seat when she became lieutenant governor.
Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at sabine.martin@gannett.com or by phone at (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin.
