Since Lykam's vacancy will come within 45 days of the start of the next legislative session, the law says that it should be held "at the earliest practical time."

The governor must give at least 18 days' notice, however. The governor's office last week did not give any indication when a special election might be held.

Gonzales said Tuesday it is “possible” he will run for Lykam’s seat. Monica Kurth, a Davenport Democrat, said she intends to run for the seat.

Turnout at Tuesday's special election was light. The auditor's office said 5,178 voters cast ballots, or 11.75 percent of the district's registered voters. Nearly half of those ballots were absentees, where Lykam had a 5-1 advantage.

The date of the special election, coming just two days after Christmas, was a bit of a surprise. Back in September, Branstad had initially sought to hold the election on Nov. 8, saying it would save money and increase turnout. But Scott County Auditor Roxanna Moritz objected. Her office said that ballots already had been printed and holding the election then would have forced it to miss the deadline for overseas ballots.

The governor settled on Dec. 27, pointing to the required six-week blackout period surrounding the general election. The date prompted objections from Democrats who said that Branstad could have set it earlier in December and that he was trying to depress turnout. But the governor's office said the date was aimed at giving the auditor's office the maximum amount of time to prepare and distribute ballots.

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