There are a number of fundamental differences between the Iowa Senate and the Iowa House, but the biggest, arguably, is the constitutional duty that is given solely to the Senate. Our chamber is responsible for confirming, or not, the governor’s appointments to various executive departments, state boards, and commissions.
Appointees must receive 34 votes in the Senate to be confirmed (two-thirds of the chamber). While the Senate operated under a Republican supermajority, our voice was often disregarded during the appointment process. The majority party had the numbers to confirm every appointee, regardless of whether our caucus had serious issues with the candidate.
In 2025, we broke the Republican supermajority. So, this session, they need Democratic votes to confirm nominees. In sending additional Democrats to the Senate, Iowans entrusted us with the responsibility of providing additional scrutiny to the governor’s appointees. This isn’t a power we use with reckless abandon – we take this responsibility seriously. We take our time to interview, investigate, and consider each nominee. We are thoughtful and deliberate. Every nominee is given the respect of proper due diligence.
We have confirmed the overwhelming majority of the governor’s appointees. But, in the course of our deliberative process, we found a few appointees with whom we had serious concerns. A few of those appointees failed to receive the necessary votes for confirmation.
Senate Democrats will continue to mind the People’s business in the Iowa Senate and ensure that the men and women appointed to serve in these important roles are both qualified and effective.