Iowa Democratic Party - History and Past Political Strength

History and Past Political Strength

The Democratic Party existed in what is present day Iowa when it was still part of the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. During the first election held in the territory Democrat Col G.W. Jones won 66% of the vote and the Whig candidate won just 57 votes in the county that today is the State of Iowa. Iowa entered the union in 1846 and its first governor was Ansel Briggs. That same year Iowa would send its first two Representatives to Congress, both Democrats. Two years later the Iowa Legislature would send two Democrats to represent Iowa in the United States Senate. However, with the rise of the Republican Party of Iowa, Iowa Democrats had very little political power for nearly a century. With the exception of the late 1890s and 1930s, during the Great Depression, Iowa Democrats did not became a major political force until the 1950s with the coordination of unions in Iowa's largest cities. Demographic changes in the 1940s and 1950s helped lay a foundation for Democratic success. During World War II thousands of Iowans flocked to large cities to take advantage of war time jobs. By 1960 more Iowans resided in urban areas than rural areas. Iowa's industrial areas were not concentrated in one town, but spread out over the state's 15 largest cities. Along with industry developing across the state this led to Democratic strongholds spreading across Iowa as well. This demographic change translated into Democratic success first in Iowa's largest city Des Moines. There Democrats identified and registered thousands of new supporters. In 1954 Democrats "won control of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, every county administrative seat, and all of Polk County's state legislative seats. Taking advantage of internal Republican strife and backing from organized labor Democrat Herschel Loveless won an upset victory against incumbent Republican Governor Leo Hoegh in the 1956 election. Two years later Loveless would win reelection and Democrats would capture 50 State House members, 12 State Senators, and 4 Congressional Seats. In 1960 Iowa's Government would revert back to Republican control. However, during the 1960s and 70's Iowa Democrats used their success in Polk County as model that was repeated across Iowa in organizing Democratic supporters. While Democrats would suffer large defeats in 1966 and 1968 Governor Hughes would go on to win three terms in office. Democrats were able to rebound electorally in the 1970s in part to John C. Culver and Richard C. Clark. They accomplished this by using computer models in a precinct by precinct basis to run issue driven campaigns. Both would be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 and 1974, respectively. Republicans would once again regain party dominance in the late 1970s, but Democrats remained a competitive party in Iowa.