Republican Adrian Dickey wins Iowa Senate special election

DES MOINES - A successor has been picked for Republican state Sen. Mariannette Miller-Meeks after she was elected to the U.S. House by just six votes.

Republican Adrian Dickey defeated Democrat Mary Stewart in a special election Tuesday night to represent Miller-Meeks' former district in southeast Iowa, WHO reports.

Dickey is president of the family-owned Dickey Transport based out of Packwood in Jefferson County.

With the win, Republicans maintain a 14-seat majority in the Iowa Senate.

Miller-Meeks' challenger, Democrat Rita Hart, is contesting the congressional race and has asked the U.S. House to investigate, saying that 22 ballots were not counted.

Miller-Meeks has asked for Hart's request to be dismissed because Hart did not go through Iowa's court system first.