Brenna Bird wins race for Iowa attorney general over long-serving Democratic incumbent

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Republican candidate Brenna Bird was elected Iowa's next attorney general after besting Democratic incumbent Tom Miller in a close race.

In a victory speech, Bird credited law enforcement agents for her success. 

"We back the blue here in Iowa don’t we?" she said. "And, tonight our success was due to the law enforcement support that we had."

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who won her re-elected bid, was a strong backer of Bird, saying she wanted "my own" attorney general.

Meanwhile, Miller, who holds the record as the longest-serving state attorney general in U.S. history, told reporters that he was disappointed in the results of the election, but that he had called Bird to congratulate her and tell her she is getting a "great job." 

"I'm very thankful for the 40 years that I had as attorney general," he said. 

Bird served as a staff lawyer for Reynolds' predecessor, former Gov. Terry Branstad. She was also the chief of staff for former Iowa congressman Steve King. King was sidelined by his own party following racist comments and was defeated in a 2020 primary.

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Iowa Republican Attorney General candidate Brenna Bird speaks during a Republican Party of Iowa election night rally, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Des Moines, Iowa.  (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Her win, along with wins by Reynolds and newly elected treasurer, Republican Iowa Sen. Roby Smith, bolstered the party's grip over the state's politics. 

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Smith beat Democratic Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, the nation’s longest-serving state treasurer. 

Zelly Muhammad, 15, watches her mother, Rebecca Muhammad, cast her ballot at Davenport North High School in Davenport, Iowa, on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.  (Nikos Frazier/Quad City Times via AP)

Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig were re-elected as well, although votes were still being counted after Pate told election officials in Des Moines and Warren counties to begin administrative recounts of precincts that had not fully reported results. 

In the 50-seat Iowa Senate, Republicans expanded their majority to 34 seats. The last time Republicans held more than 34 seats was 1973.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.