Waterloo Times

The Iowa GOP successfully switched a state House seat from blue to red on Wednesday for the first time in decades. 

The district, based around Newton, about half an hour east of Des Moines along Interstate 80, flipped red thanks to Jon Dunwell, a pastor and tax adviser and the first Republican to represent Newton, according to MSN. The area has historically been a Democratic manufacturing hub. 

“BREAKING: Iowa House district flips RED for the first time in decades! Huge congrats to @jdunwell on being the second state GOP flip in a special election in 2021. Tonight’s win proves Republicans across the nation continue to be energized” said the Republican State Leadership Committee in a tweet on Wednesday. 

Dunwell's victory came in a special election held on Tuesday, in which he beat his Democratic opponent, Steven Mullen, by a 60% to 40% margin. Numbers from the county auditor's office showed that about 1 in 5 voters in the Jasper County-based seat turned out for voting, according to The Hill. 

Iowa GOP's new senate seat marks the second time a Republican has won a formerly Democratic-held legislative seat since President Joe Biden took office. A state Senate seat in Connecticut was flipped red over the summer, according to The Hill.