Gov. Kim Reynolds has called a special election for Dec. 30 to fill the Iowa Senate seat of the late Sen. Claire Celsi, who died at age 59 after dealing with undisclosed health challenges.

Celsi, a Democrat from West Des Moines, died Tuesday, Oct. 7 . Her family announced on Sept. 18 that she had entered hospice care . More: Iowa Sen. Claire Celsi, remembered as 'an absolute force,' dies at 59

She represented Iowa Senate District 16 , which includes parts of West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights.

Celsi won her first election in 2018 with nearly 66% of the vote and won reelection in 2022 with 58%, defeating Republicans each time. Following redistricting, she won again in 2024 with 70% of the vote, defeating a Libertarian candidate after no Republican filed to run.

The

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