BREAKING: Dickey defeats Taylor for Iowa Senate seat

Republican Adrian Dickey has defeated his Democratic challenger Rich Taylor in the race for Iowa Senate District 44.

Dickey received 15,311 votes (66%) to Taylor’s 7,695 (33%). Taylor, a resident of Mt. Pleasant who has previously served in the Iowa Senate, could not unseat the incumbent Dickey of Packwood from the new District 44, which covers all of Van Buren, Jefferson and Keokuk counties, the southwest corner of Henry County including Mt. Pleasant, and the eastern half of Mahaska County including Oskaloosa.

Dickey was first elected to the Senate in January during a special election to replace Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who had left her Iowa Senate seat upon winning a race for the U.S. House of Representatives. Dickey recalled that it was the first election in the entire country after President Joe Biden took office, and Dickey felt that his victory at the time was a testament to how voters felt about him, and also how they felt about President Biden.

“Now, two years later, the voters in District 44 have spoken again, and in landslide fashion,” he said. “I think it has to do with what I stand for, partially what the Republicans in Iowa have accomplished, and partially because of Biden’s agenda of big government, more regulation and more taxes.”

Dickey said that the No. 1 issue he heard about from voters was inflation, which is something the state government has no control over.

“Voters have such a distaste for what the federal government is doing, and that’s why you’re seeing a red wave across the country,” he said.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com