The 1972 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1972 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in all of the state senate's 50 districts—the 25 even-numbered seats were up for regularly scheduled four-year terms and, due to the oddities of redistricting following the 1970 Census, the 25 odd-numbered seats were up for shortened two-year terms. State senators typically serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate, with half of the seats traditionally up for election each cycle. The decennial census and redistricting process disrupts one cycle each decade.
The Iowa General Assembly provides statewide maps of each district. To compare the effect of the 1971 redistricting process on the location of each district, contrast the previous map with the map used for the 1972 elections.
The primary election on June 6, 1972 determined which candidates appeared on the November 7, 1972 general election ballot. The Iowa Secretary of State only provides the names of candidates who ran in the 1972 primaries and does not report vote tallies. The primary candidates' names can be obtained here. General election results can be obtained here.
Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate, with 38 seats, and Democrats had 12 seats. In March 1971, a special election in district 11 resulted in G. William "Bill" Gross flipping a seat in favor of the Democrats. Therefore, on election day in November 1972, Republicans controlled 37 seats and Democrats had 13.
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 13 Senate seats.
Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1972 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 28 seats and Democrats having 22 seats (a net gain of 9 seats for the Democrats).
Summary of Results NOTE: The 25 even-numbered districts were up for four-year terms and the 25 odd-numbered districts were up for two-year terms due to the 1971 redistricting process. An asterisk (*) after a senator's name indicates they were an incumbent re-elected, but to a new district number due to redistricting.
State senate districtIncumbent PartyElected senator Party 1st Lucas DeKoster Rep Lucas DeKoster Republican 2nd Marvin Wesley Smith Rep Irvin L. Bergman Republican 3rd Wayne Dalton Keith Rep Warren E. Curtis Republican 4th Herbert Luther Ollenburg Rep Berl Priebe Democratic 5th Vernon Kyhl Rep Ray Taylor Republican 6th George L. Shawver Rep Kenneth D. Scott Democratic 7th Floyd Arthur Gilley Rep Ralph Farnham McCartney Republican 8th S. J. Brownlee Rep Hilarius Louis Heying Democratic 9th Leigh Raymond Curran Rep Dale L. Tieden Republican 10th Ralph Wilson Potter Rep Mike Blouin Democratic 11th George William Gross Dem Gene Kennedy* Democratic 12th Alden J. Erskine Rep Clifton C. Lamborn* Republican 13th John Wesley Graham Rep Tom Riley* Republican 14th Arthur Neu Rep Cloyd E. Robinson* Democratic 15th C. Joseph Coleman Dem Ralph Wilson Potter* Republican 16th James A. Potgeter Rep James V. Gallagher Democratic 17th Rudy Van Drie Rep Barton L. Schwieger Republican 18th John L. Mowry Rep Bill Hansen Republican 19th Francis Messerly Rep Vernon Kyhl* Republican 20th Willa Charlene Conklin Rep Elizabeth Ruby Miller Republican 21st Charles Balloun Rep John S. Murray Republican 22nd Cloyd E. Robinson Dem Jack Nystrom Republican 23rd Tom Riley Rep C. Joseph Coleman* Democratic 24th Clifton C. Lamborn Rep William P. Winkelman Republican 25th John M. Walsh Rep E. Kevin Kelly Republican 26th Gene Kennedy Dem Leonard C. Andersen Republican 27th James Schaben Dem James Schaben Democratic 28th R. Dean Arbuckle Rep Karl Nolin Democratic 29th Reinhold O. Carlson Rep Norman Rodgers Democratic 30th William D. Palmer Dem William N. Plymat Republican 31st George F. Milligan Rep Earl Willits Democratic 32nd Lee H. Gaudineer Dem William D. Palmer* Democratic 33rd John E. Tapscott Dem George F. Milligan* Republican 34th Eugene Marshall Hill Dem George Kinley Democratic 35th Minnette Doderer Dem Eugene Marshall Hill* Democratic 36th William R. Rabedeaux Rep Joann Yessler Orr Democratic 37th Roger John Shaff Rep Minnette Doderer* Democratic 38th Edward E. Nicholson Rep William R. Rabedeaux* Republican 39th Harold A. Thordsen Rep Roger John Shaff* Republican 40th James W. Griffin Rep Elizabeth Orr Shaw Republican 41st Earl G. Bass Rep Bill Gluba Democratic 42nd James E. Briles Rep Charles Peter Miller* Democratic 43rd John C. Rhodes Rep Lowell Junkins Democratic 44th Bass Van Gilst Dem Forrest Schwengels Republican 45th Richard Lytle Stephens Rep Gene W. Glenn* Democratic 46th Charles Peter Miller Dem Bass Van Gilst* Democratic 47th Charles O. Laverty Rep Richard Ramsey Republican 48th Quentin V. Anderson Rep James E. Briles* Republican 49th Gene W. Glenn Dem Calvin Hultman Republican 50th Wilson Lloyd Davis Rep James W. Griffin* Republican
Source:
Detailed Results Reminder: All even-numbered Iowa Senate seats were up for four-year terms and all odd-numbered seats were up for two-year terms in 1972 due to the oddities caused by redistricting. District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 28 • District 29 • District 30 • District 31 • District 32 • District 33 • District 34 • District 35 • District 36 • District 37 • District 38 • District 39 • District 40 • District 41 • District 42 • District 43 • District 44 • District 45 • District 46 • District 47 • District 48 • District 49 • District 50__NOTOC__ Note: The Iowa Secretary of State only lists the names of 1972 primary candidates, instead of actual election results. Only general election vote tallies are provided.
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
James Turner died and this necessitated a special election.
District 48
District 49
District 50
See also United States elections, 1972 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 1972 Elections in Iowa
References