2020 U.S. House elections, Democrats lost control of the 1st district to Republican Ashley Hinson and the 2nd district to Mariannette Miller-Meeks, while retaining Cindy Axne in the 3rd district. State level Iowa Democrats held the Governor's office from 1999 to 2011. In 1999, Democrat Tom Vilsack was elected governor and served two terms. Following Vilsack's decision to not run for reelection then-Secretary of State Chet Culver ran in 2006 and won. However, in 2010, Republican Terry Branstad defeated Culver 52.9% to 43.3%. In the 2018 Iowa elections, Democrat Rob Sand defeated incumbent Republican Mary Mosiman to become State Auditor. Democrat Michael Fitzgerald has held the post of State Treasurer since 1983, and is the longest-serving state treasurer in the United States. Likewise, Democrat Tom Miller has held the post of State Attorney General since 1995, and is the longest-serving state attorney general in the United States. Registered voters As of July 2010 about 700,000 Iowans are registered Democrats compared to around 645,000 Republicans. Voters claiming independent outnumber both parties at just under 750,000 voters. History and past political strength The Democratic Party was active in Iowa then the area was still part of the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. During the first election held in the territory, Democrat Col G.W. Jones won 66% of the vote, and the Whig candidate won 57 votes in the county that today is the State of Iowa. Iowa entered the union in 1846 and its first governor was Ansel Briggs. That same year Iowa would send its first two Representatives to Congress, both Democrats. Two years later the Iowa Legislature elected two Democrats to represent the state in the United States Senate. However, after the rise of the Republican Party of Iowa following the American Civil War, Iowa Democrats had little political power for nearly a century. With the exception of the late 1890s and 1930s, during the Great Depression, Iowa Democrats did not become a major political force until the 1950s. By that time, new waves of immigrants and their descendants, and working-class unions in industry in Iowa's largest cities had aligned with the Democratic Party. Such demographic changes in the 1940s and 1950s helped lay a foundation for Democratic success. During World War II, thousands of Iowans had flocked to large cities to take advantage of war time jobs. By 1960 the state had become urbanized: more Iowans resided in urban areas