(Radio Iowa) – A Republican has won a special election in southeast Iowa for a seat in the Iowa House. State Representative Martin Graber of Fort Madison died on January 31st and Blaine Watkins of Donnelson has been elected to replace him.

Watkins earned a political science degree from Grand View University in December and had worked as a clerk for a state senator from Lee County for the past two years.

Watkins finished a little over three points ahead of Democrat Nannette Watkins, a small business owner from Fort Madison.