In the McGrathian Senate special election held in Iowa in 2026, Viktor Shevchenko was elected to the former senate seat of Chuck Grassley. Viktor became the first Ukrainian immigrant elected to the McGrathian from Iowa. The senate election coincided with other senate elections as well the concurrent Iowa gubernatorial election.
Background
In November 2025, President Joe McGrath appointed Senator Chuck Grassley as the McGrathian ambassador to Hungary. When Grassley was confirmed by the McGrathian Senate, he resigned his seat, leaving it vacant. On December 10, 2025, Governor Kim Reynolds appointed state representative Bobby Kaufmann to the senate seat.
In March 2026, with persuasion from President McGrath, Viktor Shevchenko, a seven year old Ukrainian immigrant boy from Iowa City, declared his campaign for the senate. That same month, Senator Kaufmann also declared his campaign for a full term.
In the state’s primary elections, Viktor defeated Kaufmann in an upset, thus becoming the Republican nominee. The Democrats nominated former governor Tom Vilsack as their senate nominee.
General Election
Due to Iowa’s former status as a swing state, the race remained a tossup until Mid-October 2026. In that month, new polls predicted that Viktor was going to become the new senator. Combined with campaign contributions from President McGrath, it was inevitable that Viktor was going to win.
Results
In the general election, Viktor carried most of Iowa’s counties. However, Vilsack was narrowly able to flip Pottawatomie County, which is located across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. This was made possible by liberal voters in Council Bluffs. Viktor also managed to flip Scott County, which home to the city of Davenport.
Viktor was sworn in as Iowa’s first child and first Ukrainian senator on January 3, 2027. He will be up for re-election to a full term in 2028.