Democrats outspent Republicans in Iowa House races

Democrats outspent Republicans for the Iowa House, but they lost the vast majority of competitive races in last week's election.

An analysis of fundraising data by The Des Moines Register shows of the 27 most competitive races, Democrats raised almost $1.2 million in the most recent two campaign reporting periods. Republicans raised about $654,000.

University of Northern Iowa political science professor Christopher Larimer says generally, the candidates who raise the most money are more successful. He says in the 2010 election, the harsh political atmosphere toward Democrats overrode that rule.

The outcome of a few races are still pending recounts, but it appears that Democrats lost 16 seats, shifting their majority of 56 seats in the 100-member House to a minority of 40.