Results: Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds defeats Democrat Deidre DeJear in Iowa's gubernatorial election

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  • Gov. Kim Reynolds defeated Democrat Deidre DeJear in Iowa's gubernatorial race.

  • Iowa has a trifecta, with the GOP in control of the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.

  • Reynolds ran an ad that came under scrutiny: "Here in Iowa, we know right from wrong, boys from girls."

Republican incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds defeated Democrat Deidre DeJear in Iowa's gubernatorial election.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. local time, 9 p.m. EST.

Iowa's gubernatorial candidates

Reynolds is Iowa's first female governor. She was sworn in on May 24, 2017, after longtime Gov. Terry Branstad resigned to serve as US ambassador to China. She previously served as Branstad's lieutenant governor, winning the 2010 election and 2014 reelection.

Prior to being elected lieutenant governor, she served in the Iowa State Senate, representing the 48th District. Reynolds also served as Clarke County Treasurer for 14 years.

One of her political ads, in which she says, "Here in Iowa, we know right from wrong, boys from girls," stirred controversy, with opponents calling it "clear-cut discrimination."

DeJear, Reynolds' challenger, is an entrepreneur and founder of a nonprofit aimed at supporting youths' education. Her priorities included addressing mental health needs of students and staff, increasing compensation for public school educators, and investing in affordable childcare statewide.

Iowa's voting history

Iowa backed then-President Donald Trump over President Joe Biden in an 8 percentage point margin of victory in 2020. A battleground, the state has voted for a Democrat in six of seven presidential elections from 1992 through 2012, but that all changed in 2016 when Trump won the state.

What experts say

The race between Reynolds and DeJear was rated as "solid Republican" by Inside Elections, "solid Republican" by The Cook Political Report, and "safe Republican" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Read the original article on Business Insider