The field is set for the April 29 special election in Iowa House district 78. Democrats nominated Angel Ramirez at an April 12 nominating convention. Linn County Republicans chair Bernie Hayes won the GOP nomination at an April 14 convention.

Ramirez won on the first ballot in a four-way Democratic field. She is the co-founder and executive director of Our Future, a nonprofit fellowship for young leaders, and a Youth Peace Project Facilitator with the Kids First Law Center.

If elected, she would be the first Latina to serve in the Iowa legislature. She’s also “a proud first-generation college graduate from Coe College,” according to her campaign website. She told Iowa News Now after the convention, “it’s not the time for the status quo” and Democrats need to stand for “a progressive vision,” to help the working class, health care system, public education, LGBTQ neighbors.

Former State Senator Rob Hogg posted on Facebook, “Angel was my state senate clerk. She understands the practical importance of government and is a strong advocate for workers and their families, people in poverty, social justice and environment.”

You can follow the Ramirez campaign on Facebook here.

Hayes does not appear to have a campaign website or Facebook page. A retired engineer who worked at Rockwell Collins for 37 years, he has previously run for the Iowa Senate twice. He lost to Rob Hogg in 2018 and lost to Liz Bennett in 2022, both times by a roughly 65 percent to 35 percent margin.

Hayes told Grace Nieland of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, “I’ve lived in this district for 25 years, and you know, that’s really (what sparked) my interest in this region and these neighborhoods — wanting to see some good policies in place that would be a blessing and a benefit to it.”

House district 78 became vacant when State Representative Sami Scheetz resigned on April 1 to become an appointed Linn County supervisor. As Bleeding Heartland previously reported, this district covering parts of southeast Cedar Rapids is solid blue. The area contains more than twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans. Voters in these precincts gave Kamala Harris 65.2 percent of the presidential vote in 2024.

Scheetz defeated his Republican opponent by a two-to-one margin in 2022 and was unopposed in the 2024 general election.

So Democrats would have to drop the ball in a big way to lose the April 29 special election. But they appear to be taking nothing for granted. In an April 15 statement, Linn County Democratic chair Bret Nilles denounced Hayes, saying his “extreme beliefs reveal a candidate dangerously out of touch with the needs of everyday Iowans.” Specifically, Nilles mentioned that Hayes opposes raising the minimum wage and supports “expanded restrictions on reproductive freedom.”

Governor Kim Reynolds scheduled the election quickly because the vacancy arose while the legislature is in session. In-person early voting will begin on April 21 at the county auditor’s office and will continue through April 28. Polls will be open on April 29 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

If you haven’t already requested a mailed ballot, it is too late to do so now. If you did request a ballot by mail, the Linn County Elections Office recommends hand-delivering the completed ballot to the county elections office or drop box. Voters who mail their ballots are at risk of not having their votes counted, because Iowa law requires all ballots to arrive at the county elections office by 8:00 PM on April 29.

Map of House district 78: