Iowa Democrats Canvass Ahead of Special Election on August 26

Sioux City, Iowa — Two Iowa Democrats canvassed neighborhoods in Sioux City on Saturday as part of their campaigns ahead of the special election on August 26. Democratic candidate Jennifer Drey is running for the Iowa Senate seat in the first district.

Drey stated that if elected, she would help reduce the Republican supermajority in the Iowa Senate, allowing Democrats a stronger voice during negotiations. “That really means that we’re going to stand up for things like local control. Sioux City has really seen a significant reduction in their budget because of laws that were passed in the last couple of sessions, and that hurt Sioux Citians,” Drey said.

Joining Drey was Democratic candidate for Iowa secretary of state, a Navy veteran from Bettendorf, Iowa. He showed support by helping Drey canvass around Woodbury County before his town hall meeting in Sioux City.

The secretary of state candidate, who announced his campaign in May, emphasized the need to address election security, voting accessibility, and restoring trust in elections. “In the past few years, we have seen a lot of rhetoric around elections and voting, and unfortunately a lot of it’s been used as a scare tactic to justify laws like the ones we’ve seen here in Iowa that make it harder for folks to vote,” he said.

The candidate is set to run against current Secretary of State Paul Pate, who has held the position since 2015. Notably, no Democrat has held this office in nearly two decades, with Michael Mauro being the last in 2006.