Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, former legislative assistant for a state representative and senator, captured the District 45 seat in the Iowa House of Representatives with 56 percent of the votes.

As of 11 p.m., with all precincts reporting, Wessel-Kroeschell received 7,786 votes, while her competitors, Republican Randy Woodbury and Independent Jerry Litzel received 5,337 votes and 742 votes — 38 percent and 5 percent — respectively.

Wessel-Kroeschell received the good news at a Democratic victory party at Lucullan’s Italian Grill, 400 Main St.

“I think it was a good victory,” Wessel-Kroeschell said. “It was a good, solid race.”

Wessel-Kroeschell received a master’s in public administration from Iowa State in 1987. She has served as administrator for two non-profit agencies, a production designer and editor of ISU agriculture publications and a teacher with two school-aged children.

Wessel-Kroeschell contributed her win to tremendous organization with the Story County Democrats and her election committee, as well as the ISU Democrats — a group she said was instrumental in her victory and helped gain valuable college votes.

“With 50 percent of the district being students, that wasn’t a segment of the population I could ignore,” she said. Both Woodbury and Litzel congratulated Wessel-Kroeschell and wished her luck in her role as a representative.