IOWA - Iowa Republicans are extending their voter registration lead over Democrats.
Both parties have increased their numbers over the past year, but Republicans have grown at a higher rate.
New numbers from the Iowa Secretary of State's office show there are now almost 28,000 more active Republicans than Democrats in the state.
Republicans also enjoyed widespread success in Iowa during November's election. Donald Trump easily carried the state, and all but one federal election was won by Republicans.
Those races included victories by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, as well as new U.S. House members Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller Meeks. Cindy Axne is the now the only Democratic Congress member from Iowa. The GOP also strengthened its majority in the state legislature.
Democrats actually outnumber Republicans in all but one of the four congressional districts, but the Republican lead in in District 4 outstrips the Democratic advantage in the other districts.
Overall, Iowa has set a record for active registered voters for the third month in a row. There are now more than 2.1 million active voters, a year-to-year increase of more than 100,000.
“We are consistently one of the best states in the country for voter registration and participation, and that trend continues,” said Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said. “The reforms we have put in place, including online voter registration, our high school voter outreach efforts, and the Safe at Home address confidentiality program for survivors of violence, have all played a role in these record numbers. I’m proud of Iowans’ unparalleled level of civic engagement.”
More than 90 percent of Iowa’s eligible population is registered to vote.