# 1990 Iowa Senate election

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The 1990 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1990 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 1990 is provided by the Iowa General Assembly here.
The primary election on June 5, 1990 determined which candidates appeared on the November 6, 1990 general election ballot. Primary election results can be obtained here. General election results can be obtained here.
The 1990 elections were the last in Iowa in which the Lieutenant Governor performed the duties of "President of the Senate." Starting on January 14, 1991, with the enactment of Article IV, section 18, of the Constitution of Iowa, the duties of Iowa's Lieutenant Governor no longer include presiding over the state Senate. The Majority Leader was instead the sitting Senate member who led the larger party. Following 1991, the President of the Iowa Senate would become a sitting member of the Senate.
Following the previous election in 1988, Democrats had control of the Iowa state Senate with 30 seats to Republicans' 20 seats.
To take control of the chamber from Democrats, the Republicans needed to net 6 Senate seats.
Democrats kept their control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1990 general election, with Democrats holding 28 seats and Republicans having 22 seats after the election (a net gain of 2 seats for the Republicans).

## Summary of Results

* NOTE: The 25 even-numbered districts did not have elections in 1990 so they are not listed here.
| State Senate District | Incumbent | Party | Elected Senator | Party |
| 1st | Al Sturgeon | Dem | Al Sturgeon | Democratic |
| 3rd | Wilmer Rensink | Rep | Wilmer Rensink | Republican |
| 5th | Linn Fuhrman | Rep | Linn Fuhrman | Republican |
| 7th | C. Joseph Coleman | Dem | James B. Kersten | Republican |
| 9th | Ray Taylor | Rep | Ray Taylor | Republican |
| 11th | John Jensen | Rep | John Jensen | Republican |
| 13th | Jim Lind | Rep | Jim Lind | Republican |
| 15th | Kenneth Daniel Scott | Dem | Allen Borlaug | Republican |
| 17th | Joseph J. Welsh | Dem | Joseph J. Welsh | Democratic |
| 19th | Norman J. Goodwin | Rep | Sheldon L. Rittmer | Republican |
| 21st | Patrick J. Deluhery | Dem | Patrick J. Deluhery | Democratic |
| 23rd | Jean Hall Lloyd-Jones | Dem | Jean Hall Lloyd-Jones | Democratic |
| 25th | Wally Horn | Dem | Wally Horn | Democratic |
| 27th | Richard J. Varn | Dem | Richard J. Varn | Democratic |
| 29th | Jack Rife | Rep | Jack Rife | Republican |
| 31st | Gene Fraise | Dem | Gene Fraise | Democratic |
| 33rd | Donald Gettings | Dem | Donald Gettings | Democratic |
| 35th | Bill Dieleman | Dem | Bill Dieleman | Democratic |
| 37th | Charles Hughes Bruner | Dem | Ralph Rosenberg | Democratic |
| 39th | William D. Palmer | Dem | William D. Palmer | Democratic |
| 41st | Julia Gentleman | Rep | Mary Kramer | Republican |
| 43rd | Thomas Mann | Dem | Florence Buhr | Democratic |
| 45th | James R. Riordan | Dem | James R. Riordan | Democratic |
| 47th | Calvin Hultman | Rep | Derryl McLaren | Republican |
| 49th | Jack W. Hester | Rep | Jack W. Hester | Republican |
Source:

## Detailed Results

* Reminder: Only odd-numbered Iowa Senate seats were up for election in 1990; therefore, even-numbered seats did not have elections in 1990 & 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 Democratic Primary Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Al Sturgeon (incumbent) | 1,752 | 65.5 |
| | Democratic | Milo Colton | 921 | 34.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,673 | 100.0 |
Iowa Senate, District 1 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Al Sturgeon (incumbent) | 8,179 | 50.8 |
| | Republican | Kathleen L. Hoffmann | 7,915 | 49.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,094 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 3

Iowa Senate, District 3 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Wilmer Rensink (incumbent) | 14,002 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,002 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 5

Iowa Senate, District 5 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Linn Fuhrman (incumbent) | 10,353 | 58.3 |
| | Democratic | Keith Baker | 7,397 | 41.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,750 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 7

Iowa Senate, District 7 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Kersten | 8,819 | 50.5 |
| | Democratic | C. Joseph Coleman (incumbent) | 8,641 | 49.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,460 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### District 9

Iowa Senate, District 9 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ray Taylor (incumbent) | 10,482 | 56.2 |
| | Democratic | Sam Osborne | 8,178 | 43.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,660 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 11

Iowa Senate, District 11 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John W. Jensen (incumbent) | 10,364 | 59.7 |
| | Democratic | Helen Kopsa | 6,989 | 40.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,353 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 13

Iowa Senate, District 13 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jim Lind (incumbent) | 10,847 | 61.3 |
| | Democratic | Abby Burns | 6,848 | 38.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,695 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 15

Iowa Senate, District 15 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Allen Borlaug | 9,998 | 51.9 |
| | Democratic | Kenneth D. Scott (incumbent) | 9,280 | 48.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,278 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### District 17

Iowa Senate, District 17 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joe J. Welsh (incumbent) | 11,996 | 92.3 |
| | Independent | Ray Taylor | 1,000 | 7.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,996 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 19

Iowa Senate, District 19 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Sheldon L. Rittmer | 9,631 | 53.9 |
| | Democratic | Douglas Olmsted | 8,227 | 46.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,858 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 21

Iowa Senate, District 21 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Patrick J. Deluhery (incumbent) | 8,266 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,266 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 23

Iowa Senate, District 23 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jean Hall Lloyd-Jones (incumbent) | 16,959 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,959 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 25

Iowa Senate, District 25 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Wally Horn (incumbent) | 10,844 | 54.5 |
| | Republican | Andy Hasley | 9,049 | 45.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,893 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 27

Iowa Senate, District 27 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Richard J. Varn (incumbent) | 12,657 | 62.0 |
| | Republican | Charles V. Dunham | 7,767 | 38.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,424 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 29

Iowa Senate, District 29 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jack Rife (incumbent) | 8,700 | 55.8 |
| | Democratic | Hugh Reed | 6,889 | 44.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,589 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 31

Iowa Senate, District 31 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Gene Fraise (incumbent) | 10,645 | 60.3 |
| | Republican | John H. Clark | 7,009 | 39.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,654 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 33

Iowa Senate, District 33 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Donald Gettings (incumbent) | 11,327 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,327 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 35

Iowa Senate, District 35 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Bill Dieleman (incumbent) | 14,340 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,340 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 37

Iowa Senate, District 37 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ralph Rosenberg | 12,184 | 66.6 |
| | Republican | Ray Jones | 6,104 | 33.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,288 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 39

Iowa Senate, District 39 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | William D. Palmer (incumbent) | 16,219 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,219 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 41

Iowa Senate, District 41 Republican Primary Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mary Kramer | 2,147 | 64.5 |
| | Republican | Mike McCann | 1,182 | 35.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,329 | 100.0 |
Iowa Senate, District 41 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mary Kramer | 13,970 | 53.1 |
| | Democratic | Tim Urban | 12,318 | 46.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 26,288 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 43

Iowa Senate, District 43 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Florence Buhr | 12,510 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,510 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 45

Iowa Senate, District 45 Democratic Primary Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James R. Riordan (incumbent) | 3,888 | 70.1 |
| | Democratic | Timothy J. Nixon | 1,656 | 29.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 5,544 | 100.0 |
Iowa Senate, District 45 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | James R. Riordan (incumbent) | 12,681 | 61.7 |
| | Republican | Jerry D. Slater | 7,881 | 38.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,562 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### District 47

Iowa Senate, District 47 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Derryl McLaren | 11,929 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,929 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### District 49

Iowa Senate, District 49 General Election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jack W. Hester (incumbent) | 10,052 | 57.1 |
| | Democratic | John J. O'Brien | 7,549 | 42.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,601 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |