For Democrats, victory came with an unusual twist in Iowa.
Eric Armstrong won his state legislative race Tuesday even though the retired railroad executive withdrew from the contest in September to focus on unspecified personal health concerns.
Armstrong was projected to defeat Republican Keith Jones by roughly nine percentage points in Iowa’s 20th House District, according to the Associated Press.
Armstrong announced his withdrawal Sept. 7 in a statement posted to his campaign’s Facebook page, explaining that he needed to put his health and recovery first.
“Because I must prioritize my health and recovery at this time, I am stepping down from my campaign, effective immediately,” he wrote. “This was a deeply difficult choice. However, I know it is the right one.”
He added that the district deserved a representative able to devote all of his energy to the race, saying he needed to concentrate on healing so he could continue serving the community in other ways in the future.
Speaking to the New York Times on Wednesday, Armstrong said he would “do my best” to represent the district’s voters if he could take office, while acknowledging that he was still dealing with ongoing health problems.
Armstrong would succeed fellow Democrat Josh Turek in the Iowa House. Turek defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in a race that helped Democrats flip one of Iowa’s two US Senate seats.
His victory came amid a broader Democratic surge nationwide Tuesday. In Iowa, the party also captured three of the state’s four US House districts and won the governor’s race for the first time in two decades.
Republicans did take some comfort from holding their majorities in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature, with several races still awaiting final calls Thursday morning.