Gov. Kim Reynolds sets special election to fill late Rep. John Landon's Ankeny Iowa House seat

A special election will be held Sept. 14 to fill the Iowa House seat that became vacant after the death of state Rep. John Landon in late July.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the special election date Tuesday. By law, she had to set the date of the election within five days of the seat becoming vacant. Landon died Thursday.

Landon, 71, was a Republican serving his fifth term in the House. He represented House District 37, which includes Ankeny, Alleman and part of rural Polk County.

The suburban seat was a top target for Democrats in the 2020 election, although Landon ultimately won with 53.2% of the vote to Democrat Andrea Phillips' 46.8%.

More:Iowa state Rep. John Landon, Republican of Ankeny, dies at 71

The outcome of the election will not change the overall balance of power in the Iowa House, where Republicans hold a 59-41 majority.

Whoever wins the seat will serve the remainder of Landon's term, which runs through 2022. The seat will come up for election again next year, although the district's boundaries are likely to change after lawmakers complete the once-a-decade redistricting process, resulting in new legislative and congressional maps.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.