GOP wards off Democratic win in Iowa House seat

Republicans have staved off Democratic hopes of flipping a House seat in Iowa.

GOP nominee David Young edged ahead of Staci Appel with nearly 52 percent of the vote.

{mosads}The seat has been vacated by retiring Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa), but Democrats had pegged the seat as a bright spot in a night of Democratic disappointment. Young was buoyed by Republican Joni Ernst’s win in the Senate race, while Democrats were dragged down by Rep. Bruce Braley’s (D) poor performance. 

Appel, a favorite of Hillary Clinton, had led by as much as six percentage points as of September, though shetrailed in the last two polls.

Third party candidates — Edward Wright, a Libertarian, and Bryan Holder, an independent — also took 5 percent of the vote, combined.