Iowa Republicans will not field a candidate in an Iowa special House election this summer, making it all but certain that Democrats will hold the seat.

Aaron Britt, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Iowa, confirmed on Friday that the party will not have a candidate for the Aug. 6 special election for House District 46, which covers northwest Ames.

Former Iowa City mayor and gubernatorial candidate Ross Wilburn is the Democratic candidate for the seat. Story County Democrats chose him at a nominating convention in June.

The election is being held to replace former Rep. Lisa Heddens, a Democrat who resigned after being appointed to the Story County Board of Supervisors.

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The deadline to file as a candidate in the race is Friday at 5 p.m., meaning anyone who decides to mount a campaign after that time would have to run as a write-in candidate.

The Libertarian Party of Iowa will also not field a candidate, said Joseph Howe, the party's state committee chair.

Democrats have a voter registration advantage over Republicans in House District 46, with 7,205 active Democratic voters, 5,128 active Republican voters and 8,020 active "no party" voters, according to data from the Iowa Secretary of State's office.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Iowa House, meaning Democrats need to flip four seats from Republican control in 2020 in order to retake the majority in that chamber. Republicans have had majorities in the Iowa House, Senate and governor's office since the 2016 election.

If Wilburn is elected, he will be one of five black lawmakers in the Iowa Legislature, joining four black lawmakers who currently serve in the Iowa House.

Several Democratic presidential candidates have voiced support or promised to campaign for Wilburn.

In March, a special Senate election in the Cedar Falls area attracted appearances or support from a horde of Democratic candidates. The Democratic nominee, Eric Giddens, won the seat.