Rowley rolls in D1 race

A contested special election in Iowa Senate District 1 on Tuesday ended up nowhere close to competitive.

Republican Dave Rowley defeated Democrat Mark Lemke with 75.6 percent of the vote. Both men hail from Spirit Lake and were vying to succeed former District 1 senator Zach Whiting, who resigned in October due to an impending move to Texas.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the people of northwest Iowa. The work begins now," Rowley said in a news release. "As the legislative session nears, I look forward to completing [Zach] Whiting's term and achieving our shared priorities. There are many issues in front of the Iowa Senate as we end this year and I look forward to working with my Republican colleagues to get the job done."

District 1 includes all of Clay, Osceola, Lyon, Dickinson and Palo Alto counties. Rowley scored majorities in all five: Clay, 73.6 percent; Osceola, 84 percent; Dickinson, 75 percent; Lyon, 85 percent; and Palo Alto, 66 percent.

In a previous interview with the Sentinel-News, Rowley said he intends to prioritize keeping schools open during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting first responders and police, fortifying Iowa's election laws and cutting taxes. He also said he supported farmers and ag businesses, and is against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

This will be Rowley's first stint holding elected office. He is a former Dickinson County GOP chair and president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa. He attended the University of Iowa, receiving a B.A. in Psychology.

Rowley has been a Spirit Lake resident for the last 25 years and works as an insurance agent at Blum & Leonard Associates. He and his wife, Kris, have four grown children.

There is one year left on the term. This is the last year District 1 will exist in its current form before decennial redistricting maps take effect.

Rowley said he intends to run for re-election next year in the new Iowa Senate District 5, which includes all of Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Winnebago and Palo Alto counties, as well as northern portions of Clay County including Everly.