# 1994 Iowa Senate election

Elections in Iowa :
Federal government
U.S. Presidential elections
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential caucuses
Democratic
1976
1980
1984
1992
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
1980
1996
2000
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1848
1849
1852
1855
1857 sp
1858
1860
1864
1866
1866 sp
1870
1870 sp
1872
1878
1882
1882 sp
1884
1888
1890
1894
1896
1900
1902
1902 sp
1907
1908
1908 sp
1909
1911 sp
1913
1914
1918
1920
1922 sp
1924
1926
1926 sp
1930
1932
1936
1936 sp
1938
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1846
1847
1848
1850
1st sp
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1861
1st sp
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
2nd sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1879
5th sp
1880
1882
1883
6th sp
1884
7th sp
1886
1888
1890
7th sp
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
10th sp
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1911
9th sp
1912
11th sp
1914
2nd sp
1916
1918
1920
1921
5th sp
1922
1923
8th sp
1924
1926
1928
9th sp
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
6th sp
1942
9th sp
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1959
4th sp
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2009
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Gubernatorial elections
1846
1850
1854
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Secretary of State elections
2022
Attorney General elections
2014
2018
2022
Senate elections
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1879
1881
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special elections
House of Representatives elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Territorial Council elections
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845 :
Ballot measures
2020
Question 1
2022
Amendment 1 :
Cedar Rapids
Mayoral elections
2021
2025 :
Des Moines
Mayoral elections
1997 sp
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
vte :
The 1994 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1994 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in half of the state senate's districts—the 25 odd-numbered state senate districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate, with half of the seats up for election each cycle. A statewide map of the 50 state Senate districts in the year 1994 is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.
The primary election on June 7, 1994, determined which candidates appeared on the November 8, 1994 general election ballot. Primary election results can be obtained here. General election results can be obtained here.
Following the previous election in 1992, Democrats had control of the Iowa state Senate with 27 seats to Republicans' 23 seats.
To take control of the chamber from Democrats, the Republicans needed to net 3 Senate seats.
Democrats kept their control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1994 general election with the balance of power unchanged--Democrats holding 27 seats and Republicans having 23 seats after the election.

## Summary of Results

* NOTE: The 25 even-numbered districts did not have elections in 1994 so they are not listed here.
| State Senate District | Incumbent | Party | Elected Senator | Party |
| 1st | Al Sturgeon | Dem | Steven D. Hansen | Democratic |
| 3rd | Wilmer Rensink | Rep | Wilmer Rensink | Republican |
| 5th | Mary Lou Freeman | Rep | Mary Lou Freeman | Republican |
| 7th | James B. Kersten | Rep | Rod Halvorson | Democratic |
| 9th | Ray Taylor | Rep | Stewart Iverson | Republican |
| 11th | John Jensen | Rep | John Jensen | Republican |
| 13th | Jim Lind | Rep | Jim Lind | Republican |
| 15th | Allen Borlaug | Rep | Allen Borlaug | Republican |
| 17th | Joseph J. Welsh | Dem | Thomas L. Flynn | Democratic |
| 19th | Sheldon L. Rittmer | Rep | Sheldon L. Rittmer | Republican |
| 21st | Maggie Tinsman | Rep | Maggie Tinsman | Republican |
| 23rd | Jean Hall Lloyd-Jones | Dem | Mary Neuhauser | Democratic |
| 25th | Robert Dvorsky | Dem | Robert Dvorsky | Democratic |
| 27th | Wally Horn | Dem | Wally Horn | Democratic |
| 29th | Bill Dieleman | Dem | Dennis Black | Democratic |
| 31st | Ralph Rosenberg | Dem | Johnie Hammond | Democratic |
| 33rd | William D. Palmer | Dem | William D. Palmer | Democratic |
| 35th | Florence Buhr | Dem | Dick Dearden | Democratic |
| 37th | Mary Kramer | Rep | Mary Kramer | Republican |
| 39th | James R. Riordan | Dem | Jo Ann M. Douglas | Republican |
| 41st | Jack W. Hester | Rep | Nancy Boettger | Republican |
| 43rd | Derryl McLaren | Rep | Derryl McLaren | Republican |
| 45th | Bill Fink | Dem | Bill Fink | Democratic |
| 47th | Donald Gettings | Dem | Donald Gettings | Democratic |
| 49th | Tom Vilsack | Dem | Tom Vilsack | Democratic |
Source:

## Detailed Results

* Reminder: Only odd-numbered Iowa Senate seats were up for election in 1994; therefore, even-numbered seats did not have elections in 1994 & are not shown.
* Note: If a district does not list a primary, then that district did not have a competitive primary (i.e., there may have only been one candidate file for that district).

### District 1

Iowa Senate, District 1 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Steven D. Hansen | 8,971 | 57.0 |
| | Republican | Mike van Maanen | 6,772 | 43.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,743 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 3

Iowa Senate, District 3 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Wilmer Rensink (incumbent) | 15,707 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,707 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 5

Iowa Senate, District 5 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mary Lou Freeman (incumbent) | 13,899 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,899 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 7

Iowa Senate, District 7 Republican Primary Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kim L. Landhuis | 3,579 | 57.0 |
| | Republican | Myron G. Groat | 2,703 | 43.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,282 | 100.0 |
Iowa Senate, District 7 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Rod Halvorson | 10,379 | 52.3 |
| | Republican | Kim L. Landhuis | 9,472 | 47.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,851 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### District 9

Iowa Senate, District 9 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Stewart Iverson | 14,271 | 70.0 |
| | Democratic | Herbert D. Muhlenbruch | 6,122 | 30.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,393 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 11

Iowa Senate, District 11 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John W. Jensen (incumbent) | 13,884 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,884 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 13

Iowa Senate, District 13 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Lind (incumbent) | 8,990 | 95.1 |
| | Libertarian | David A. Neelans | 459 | 4.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,449 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 15

Iowa Senate, District 15 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Allen Borlaug (incumbent) | 12,177 | 57.4 |
| | Democratic | James A. Erb | 9,040 | 42.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,217 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 17

Iowa Senate, District 17 Democratic Primary Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tom Flynn | 1,963 | 63.3 |
| | Democratic | Vince Dolphin | 1,136 | 36.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,099 | 100.0 |
Iowa Senate, District 17 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tom Flynn | 9,660 | 51.4 |
| | Republican | Jerry Becker | 8,968 | 47.7 |
| | Grassroots | Mike Lincoln | 160 | 0.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,788 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 19

Iowa Senate, District 19 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Sheldon L. Rittmer (incumbent) | 11,307 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,307 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 21

Iowa Senate, District 21 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Maggie Tinsman (incumbent) | 12,473 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,473 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 23

Iowa Senate, District 23 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Mary Neuhauser | 13,729 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,729 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 25

Iowa Senate, District 25 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Robert Dvorsky (incumbent) | 11,679 | 58.0 |
| | Republican | Rosie Dalton | 8,445 | 42.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,124 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 27

Iowa Senate, District 27 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Wally Horn (incumbent) | 12,502 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,502 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 29

Iowa Senate, District 29 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Dennis Black | 13,180 | 61.4 |
| | Republican | Kay E. Ward | 8,273 | 38.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,453 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 31

Iowa Senate, District 31 Republican Primary Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Paul D. Smith | 2,222 | 57.8 |
| | Republican | Joseph M. Isenberg | 1,619 | 42.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,841 | 100.0 |
Iowa Senate, District 31 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Johnie Hammond | 10,462 | 59.6 |
| | Republican | Paul D. Smith | 7,102 | 40.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,564 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 33

Iowa Senate, District 33 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | William D. Palmer (incumbent) | 12,561 | 51.5 |
| | Republican | N. John Boehm | 11,848 | 48.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 24,409 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 35

Iowa Senate, District 35 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Dick Dearden | 11,710 | 68.7 |
| | Republican | Bert Wagoner, Jr. | 5,323 | 31.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,033 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 37

Iowa Senate, District 37 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mary Kramer (incumbent) | 20,373 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,373 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 39

Iowa Senate, District 39 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jo Ann Douglas | 14,268 | 60.0 |
| | Democratic | Liz Garst | 8,570 | 36.1 |
| | Independent | Verlyn Leroy Hayes | 928 | 3.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,766 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### District 41

Iowa Senate, District 41 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Nancy Boettger | 12,408 | 62.1 |
| | Democratic | Orv Roecker | 7,564 | 37.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,972 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 43

Iowa Senate, District 43 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Derryl McLaren (incumbent) | 14,365 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,365 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 45

Iowa Senate, District 45 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bill Fink (incumbent) | 10,423 | 52.3 |
| | Republican | Kay King | 9,501 | 47.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,924 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 47

Iowa Senate, District 47 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Donald Gettings (incumbent) | 11,674 | 80.1 |
| | Natural Law | Ed Malloy | 2,895 | 19.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,569 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 49

Iowa Senate, District 49 General Election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tom Vilsack (incumbent) | 12,288 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,288 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
* ↑ She would later change her surname to 'Johnson.'