DES MOINES — The Iowa Republican Party and its supporters gathered at the Hotel Fort Des Moines election night with hope and anticipation for a GOP triumph.

It was a mixed bag. Though Republicans claimed all but one U.S. House race in Iowa, they lost the big one. GOP Senate nominee Jim Ross Lightfoot fell to Democratic incumbent Tom Harkin despite a strong surge at the end of the campaign.

Republican Governor Terry Branstad arrived early in the evening to show support for the local and national candidates.

Re-elected Congressman Greg Ganske’s wife was also present, rallying support during a raffle of a 1958 Dodge DeSoto.

In a room filled with tables of fried chicken and pizza, party supporters spent the night anxiously awaiting election results.

Several party members carried large Lightfoot posters illuminated by the glare of bright television lights.

When the big news final came and Harkin was declared the winner, Lightfoot spoke to his supporters.

Lightfoot expressed pride in his campaign, calling his supporters “his family.”

“Anybody in the Republicans and anybody in the Democrats would be proud with how this race was run,” Lightfoot said.

Lightfoot used the word “concession” early on in his speech as the crowd pushed its way to the podium.

Lightfoot commented that earlier Tuesday afternoon, he received threats that someone wanted to “kill us and burn our house down.” But he remained upbeat, thanking the crowd for coming to his rally, citing strength in numbers.

Eleven-year-olds Tom Gruise and Weston Blomquist were among the many participants carrying signs showing their young interest in politics.

Both said they wished they were old enough to vote.

When asked if Lightfoot could beat Sen. Harkin, Blomquist said Lightfoot would “slap [Harkin’s] hynie and put him on the grill.”

Gruise, who was knowledgeable of political issues, said he supported Republicans because of the “Democrats 1993 tax increase” and disagreed with the platform supporting partial-birth abortions.

Though Gruise is too young to pay taxes, he is concerned for his parents’ welfare and would therefore vote Republican if he could.

More than 30 College Republicans from Iowa State were also present, including Nicole Jepsen, a junior in elementary education and a Lightfoot supporter. Jepsen was anxious about both national and local results.

“I’m really stressed,” Jepsen said as she looked around the crowded room.

Todd Henderson, a senior in political science, said he is voting for Dole and Lightfoot because, “people who really care about issues and causes should vote for Dole.

“It would be more damaging if voters elected an incumbent president that could soon be impeached,” he said.

Most of those who waited for the results said they were optimistic that the 1996 election would favor the Republican Party.

Did it happen? It depends on who you talk to.