DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — After a bruising midterm election where they lost a competitive Senate race and emerged with just one of four congressional seats, Iowa Democrats are trying to regroup. The recent results mean that Iowa will no longer have a congressional delegation evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. The retirement of longtime Sen. Tom Harkin creates a leadership void. And despite a significant voter outreach effort, many Democrats stayed home this year, suggesting the party’s message was lacking.

State Sen. Janet Peterson, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the party is in a “rebuilding mode.” Democrats did maintain control by a narrow margin in the Iowa Senate, while Republicans expanded their majority in the Iowa House.