(Des Moines) — A Shenandoah Excessive Faculty graduate cruised to her first time period within the Iowa Home of Representatives whereas a statehouse veteran was elected to his second straight time period.

In keeping with unofficial outcomes from Tuesday’s basic elections, Republican candidate Devon Wooden defeated Democratic candidate Pat Shipley within the Iowa Home’s seventeenth District, securing 8,155 or 71.4% of the vote in comparison with Shipley’s 3,261 or 28.5%. After graduating from SHS in 2015, Wooden attended Simpson School, the place she served as chair of the Iowa Federation of School Republicans and chair of the Simpson School Republicans. She additionally clerked within the Iowa Home for former State Representatives Clel Baudler and Mary Ann Hanusa. Wooden will fill the seat vacated by longtime Republican State Consultant Cecil Dolecheck, who determined to not for re-election. Wooden tells KMA Information she is honored to serve Iowans on the statehouse.

“It is positively been an awesome election cycle and I am so honored by the help that I’ve had tonight and all through this marketing campaign,” mentioned Wooden. “It has been an entire lot of enjoyable and I am simply honored for the chance.”

Wooden attributed the victory to the work her marketing campaign and supporters have put in main as much as the election. Whereas it’ll nonetheless be a few months earlier than her first legislative session subsequent yr, Wooden says she has just a few gadgets on the prime of her to-do listing.

“I am very to work on some ag laws — my household and I grew up on a farm so ag is a ardour of mine,” she mentioned. “I am wanting ahead to engaged on issues like rural broadband and persevering with to make it possible for Iowa has the most effective schooling accessible for college kids. I am taking a look at an entire lot of issues right here.”

She additionally acknowledged she has some massive sneakers to fill in changing the seat beforehand held by Dolecheck, who Wooden says had turn out to be a mentor for her and plenty of others. Different Republican nominees had sturdy nights within the Iowa Home, together with Brent Siegrist within the Home’s nineteenth District race defeating Democratic candidate Elizabeth Christiansen with 57.7% of the vote. Siegrist spoke with KMA Information following the victory.

“It is at all times good to win and I’ve carried out that a number of instances earlier than,” mentioned Siegrist. “Nevertheless it appears like it is going to be a reasonably good evening for Republicans throughout the state of Iowa and I am thrilled to have the ability to win and return to work and hopefully make a distinction for the folks of Iowa.”

Siegrist says his earlier experiences on the statehouse had been doubtless elements in his victory.

“A very long time in the past I spent 18 years within the Iowa Home after which had one other profession however I’ve come again to the Iowa Home for my second time period,” mentioned Siegrist. “So I feel folks perceive that I do know the method and I used to be fairly efficient the primary time. Simply campaigning, speaking to folks, and ensuring they perceive what my positions are and it payed off tonight with a reasonably good win.”

Different Home races included Thomas Jay Moore, who ran unopposed for the Home’s 18th District, receiving 98.3% of the vote. In the meantime, in response to unofficial outcomes, Democratic candidate Josh Turek within the Home’s twentieth District defeated Republican candidate Sarah Abdouch by simply 9 votes with 3,402 or simply over 50%.