Latest news with #SenateDistrict35
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer launches campaign for state auditor
Sen. Chris Cournoyer, right, took the oath of office to serve as Iowa lieutenant governor Dec. 16, 2024 at the Iowa Capitol, led by Iowa Chief Justice Susan Christensen, left. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer announced Tuesday she will run for state auditor in the 2026 election. 'The people of Iowa deserve an Auditor who will protect their dollars, keep politics out of the office, and bring a business-minded, results-oriented approach to every audit,' Cournoyer said in a news release. 'That's exactly what I intend to deliver.' Cournoyer is currently Iowa's lieutenant governor, serving under Gov. Kim Reynolds. She was appointed to the position in December 2024, months after former Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg resigned and became the president and CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association. Before joining the Reynolds administration, Cournoyer, of LeClaire, served as a state senator representing Iowa Senate District 35, winning reelection in the 2022. After being appointed to replace Gregg in 2024, Cournoyer is set to serve out the remainder of his term, through 2026. But she will not be elected to serve a full term as Reynolds' second-in-command, as the governor announced she will not seek reelection in April. Cournoyer was considered a potential gubernatorial candidate in Republican primary field after serving with Reynolds, among other potential candidates like Attorney General Brenna Bird, House Speaker Pat Grassley and Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, though Cournoyer did not announce any intentions to run for the position. The lieutenant governor's announcement that she will run for state auditor takes her out of this field as she seeks an office currently held by an expected Democratic gubernatorial candidate — Auditor Rob Sand. Sand has not officially entered the gubernatorial race, but is expected to run after accumulating significant campaign funds heading into the 2026 election cycle. This means he will likely not face Cournoyer in a reelection race for state auditor — but Cournoyer criticized Sand's time holding the position in her campaign announcement. 'As Iowa continues to cut taxes and streamline government, the Auditor's Office must lead by example and serve as a true watchdog for the taxpayer — not a political weapon,' Cournoyer said in a statement. 'It's time for an Auditor who prioritizes transparency, efficiency, and results over headlines and partisanship.' Sand is the only Democrat to hold statewide elected office in Iowa. As auditor, a position charged with auditing state agencies and launching investigations into government spending, Republicans have accused Sand of pursuing certain audits, like one into the state's Education Savings Account program providing state funding for private school tuition and associated costs, because of his political opposition to program. Cournoyer said 'an auditor should serve all Iowans — not just one party or one cause.' 'Taxpayer dollars should never be used to campaign, and oversight should never be driven by political bias,' Cournoyer said. Sand has repeatedly pushed back against claims that certain audits are used for partisan purposes. He and Democrats in the Legislature have argued Republicans are curtailing the office's ability to perform its duties, because a Democrat holds the office, through recent laws restricting the auditor's office access to certain information and ability to go to court. Cournoyer said if elected, she would take steps to make the auditor's office more efficient by integrating artificial intelligence technology into the auditing process, promoting the state's transparency portal, and making 'the Auditor's Office a home for recommendations emerging from the Governor's DOGE Task Force on modernizing government operations.' Reynolds officially launched the state Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force in February, modeled after the federal DOGE headed by Elon Musk, to identify savings and areas for improvement in local and state government. Cournoyer said she has experience working to improve government efficiency during her time in the Legislature as one of the leaders of Reynolds' 2023 government realignment law that consolidated and cut the state's 37 executive-level cabinet agencies to 16. Reynolds praised Cournoyer in a statement Tuesday and endorsed her in her campaign for auditor. 'Chris is a true fiscal conservative with a strong record of improving government efficiencies and accountability,' Reynolds said. 'Her background in technology and her unwavering commitment to taxpayers makes her an ideal watchdog every Iowan can trust. Iowans can rest assured Chris Cournoyer will always have their best interests at heart.'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zimmer flips seat in Iowa Senate
Democrat Mike Zimmer is the newest Iowa senator, flipping the Senate District 35 seat in a special election last week. Zimmer won with 52% of the vote to Republican Katie Whittington's 48%, according to unofficial results published by the Iowa Secretary of State. The special election was called to replace Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer in the Iowa Senate, who resigned after accepting the lieutenant governor position in December. 'I am honored that the residents of Senate District 35 have put their faith in me to represent them in the Iowa Senate. Our campaign's values of hard work and fairness resonated with a bipartisan coalition of voters in Clinton, Jackson, and Scott counties,' Zimmer said in a press release following his victory. 'I'm looking forward to working on behalf of the people of Eastern Iowa to help working Iowans get ahead, support our public schools and teachers, and help lower the cost of living.' The district includes all of Clinton County and parts of Scott and Jackson counties. Jackson County chose Zimmer by a vote of 555 to 446, according to unofficial results. Clinton County chose Zimmer 3,411-3,169, according to unofficial results from the Clinton County Auditor's office. There were 18 write-ins. Scott County voters selected Whittington 858-846. Zimmer, 64 and president of the Central DeWitt School Board, will serve out the remainder of Cournoyer's term through 2026. Due to state rules, he no longer will be able to serve on the school board. Zimmer has more than 40 years of experience in public education and served in various capacities from teacher to coach to administrator. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. He served as assistant principal of Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, and principal of North Scott High School in Eldridge. What this win means Cournoyer, a Republican, won her 2022 re-election with 61% of the vote, and President Donald Trump won the district in the 2024 general election by a 21-point margin against Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans will maintain their trifecta control at the Iowa Capitol — with 34-16 supermajority in the Iowa Senate after Zimmer is sworn into office and 67-33 supermajority in the House — but Democrats said the results show discontent with GOP leadership. Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner said in a statement that Zimmer's special election victory 'is a clear rejection of the Republican agenda led by Kim Reynolds and the Senate Republicans that have failed Iowans.' 'Mike ran on a platform to help working Iowans get ahead, support public schools and teachers, and help lower the cost of living,' Weiner said. 'This win shows that when Democrats fight for Iowa families, we can win anywhere. This is a victory for Iowans.' Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the statehouse campaign arm of the Democratic Party, on Jan. 28 said the victory in a district where Trump won by a large margin shows Democrats have a strong path forward in the aftermath of major GOP wins in the 2024 election. 'This earthquake victory in Iowa puts Republicans across the country on notice,' Williams said in a statement. '… Tonight's win marks the first flip of the cycle and builds on key majority-making wins in Virginia earlier this month. The DLCC is starting the new cycle strong just a month into 2025 – from battlegrounds to Republican territory. We have dozens more special elections on the horizon – we're only just getting started.' Campaign fundraising In the fight for the District 35 Senate seat, Zimmer's campaign raised about five times that of Whittington's campaign, according to campaign finance reports which were required to be filed with the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board by Jan. 23. Whittington's campaign raised $5,795, with $1,000 coming from the Clinton County Republican Central Committee. The largest contribution — $2,000 — came from the Iowa Liberty Network, which according to its website is a 'Christian, grassroots, nonpartisan organization.' Zimmer's campaign raised $37,837.85 as of Jan. 23. Of that total, the Jackson County Democratic Central Committee contributed $2,000. The Scott County Democratic Central Committee donated $1,000. The Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 gave $5,000. The reports are located on the board's website at © 2025 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.). Visit Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. © 2025 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.). Visit Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. © 2025 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.). Visit Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zimmer flips seat in Senate
Democrat Mike Zimmer is the newest Iowa senator, flipping the Senate District 35 seat in a special election last week. Zimmer won with 52% of the vote to Republican Katie Whittington's 48%, according to unofficial results published by the Iowa Secretary of State. The special election was called to replace Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer in the Iowa Senate, who resigned after accepting the lieutenant governor position in December. 'I am honored that the residents of Senate District 35 have put their faith in me to represent them in the Iowa Senate. Our campaign's values of hard work and fairness resonated with a bipartisan coalition of voters in Clinton, Jackson, and Scott counties,' Zimmer said in a press release following his victory. 'I'm looking forward to working on behalf of the people of Eastern Iowa to help working Iowans get ahead, support our public schools and teachers, and help lower the cost of living.' The district includes all of Clinton County and parts of Scott and Jackson counties. Jackson County chose Zimmer by a vote of 555 to 446, according to unofficial results. Clinton County chose Zimmer 3,411-3,169, according to unofficial results from the Clinton County Auditor's office. There were 18 write-ins. Scott County voters selected Whittington 858-846. Zimmer, 64 and president of the Central DeWitt School Board, will serve out the remainder of Cournoyer's term through 2026. Due to state rules, he no longer will be able to serve on the school board. Zimmer has more than 40 years of experience in public education and served in various capacities from teacher to coach to administrator. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. He served as assistant principal of Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, and principal of North Scott High School in Eldridge. What this win means Cournoyer, a Republican, won her 2022 re-election with 61% of the vote, and President Donald Trump won the district in the 2024 general election by a 21-point margin against Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans will maintain their trifecta control at the Iowa Capitol — with 34-16 supermajority in the Iowa Senate after Zimmer is sworn into office and 67-33 supermajority in the House — but Democrats said the results show discontent with GOP leadership. Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner said in a statement that Zimmer's special election victory 'is a clear rejection of the Republican agenda led by Kim Reynolds and the Senate Republicans that have failed Iowans.' 'Mike ran on a platform to help working Iowans get ahead, support public schools and teachers, and help lower the cost of living,' Weiner said. 'This win shows that when Democrats fight for Iowa families, we can win anywhere. This is a victory for Iowans.' Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the statehouse campaign arm of the Democratic Party, on Jan. 28 said the victory in a district where Trump won by a large margin shows Democrats have a strong path forward in the aftermath of major GOP wins in the 2024 election. 'This earthquake victory in Iowa puts Republicans across the country on notice,' Williams said in a statement. '… Tonight's win marks the first flip of the cycle and builds on key majority-making wins in Virginia earlier this month. The DLCC is starting the new cycle strong just a month into 2025 – from battlegrounds to Republican territory. We have dozens more special elections on the horizon – we're only just getting started.' Campaign fundraising In the fight for the District 35 Senate seat, Zimmer's campaign raised about five times that of Whittington's campaign, according to campaign finance reports which were required to be filed with the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board by Jan. 23. Whittington's campaign raised $5,795, with $1,000 coming from the Clinton County Republican Central Committee. The largest contribution — $2,000 — came from the Iowa Liberty Network, which according to its website is a 'Christian, grassroots, nonpartisan organization.' Zimmer's campaign raised $37,837.85 as of Jan. 23. Of that total, the Jackson County Democratic Central Committee contributed $2,000. The Scott County Democratic Central Committee donated $1,000. The Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 gave $5,000. The reports are located on the board's website at © 2025 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.). Visit Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. © 2025 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.). Visit Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. © 2025 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.). Visit Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zimmer flips seat in Iowa Senate
Democrat Mike Zimmer is the newest Iowa senator, flipping the Senate District 35 seat in a special election last week. Zimmer won with 52% of the vote to Republican Katie Whittington's 48%, according to unofficial results published by the Iowa Secretary of State. The special election was called to replace Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer in the Iowa Senate, who resigned after accepting the lieutenant governor position in December. 'I am honored that the residents of Senate District 35 have put their faith in me to represent them in the Iowa Senate. Our campaign's values of hard work and fairness resonated with a bipartisan coalition of voters in Clinton, Jackson, and Scott counties,' Zimmer said in a press release following his victory. 'I'm looking forward to working on behalf of the people of Eastern Iowa to help working Iowans get ahead, support our public schools and teachers, and help lower the cost of living.' The district includes all of Clinton County and parts of Scott and Jackson counties. Jackson County chose Zimmer by a vote of 555 to 446, according to unofficial results. Clinton County chose Zimmer 3,411-3,169, according to unofficial results from the Clinton County Auditor's office. There were 18 write-ins. Scott County voters selected Whittington 858-846. Zimmer, 64 and president of the Central DeWitt School Board, will serve out the remainder of Cournoyer's term through 2026. Due to state rules, he no longer will be able to serve on the school board. Zimmer has more than 40 years of experience in public education and served in various capacities from teacher to coach to administrator. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. He served as assistant principal of Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, and principal of North Scott High School in Eldridge. What this win means Cournoyer, a Republican, won her 2022 re-election with 61% of the vote, and President Donald Trump won the district in the 2024 general election by a 21-point margin against Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans will maintain their trifecta control at the Iowa Capitol — with 34-16 supermajority in the Iowa Senate after Zimmer is sworn into office and 67-33 supermajority in the House — but Democrats said the results show discontent with GOP leadership. Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner said in a statement that Zimmer's special election victory 'is a clear rejection of the Republican agenda led by Kim Reynolds and the Senate Republicans that have failed Iowans.' 'Mike ran on a platform to help working Iowans get ahead, support public schools and teachers, and help lower the cost of living,' Weiner said. 'This win shows that when Democrats fight for Iowa families, we can win anywhere. This is a victory for Iowans.' Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the statehouse campaign arm of the Democratic Party, on Jan. 28 said the victory in a district where Trump won by a large margin shows Democrats have a strong path forward in the aftermath of major GOP wins in the 2024 election. 'This earthquake victory in Iowa puts Republicans across the country on notice,' Williams said in a statement. '… Tonight's win marks the first flip of the cycle and builds on key majority-making wins in Virginia earlier this month. The DLCC is starting the new cycle strong just a month into 2025 – from battlegrounds to Republican territory. We have dozens more special elections on the horizon – we're only just getting started.' Campaign fundraising In the fight for the District 35 Senate seat, Zimmer's campaign raised about five times that of Whittington's campaign, according to campaign finance reports which were required to be filed with the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board by Jan. 23. Whittington's campaign raised $5,795, with $1,000 coming from the Clinton County Republican Central Committee. The largest contribution — $2,000 — came from the Iowa Liberty Network, which according to its website is a 'Christian, grassroots, nonpartisan organization.' Zimmer's campaign raised $37,837.85 as of Jan. 23. Of that total, the Jackson County Democratic Central Committee contributed $2,000. The Scott County Democratic Central Committee donated $1,000. The Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 gave $5,000. The reports are located on the board's website at
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zimmer flips seat in Senate
Democrat Mike Zimmer is the newest Iowa senator, flipping the Senate District 35 seat in a special election last week. Zimmer won with 52% of the vote to Republican Katie Whittington's 48%, according to unofficial results published by the Iowa Secretary of State. The special election was called to replace Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer in the Iowa Senate, who resigned after accepting the lieutenant governor position in December. 'I am honored that the residents of Senate District 35 have put their faith in me to represent them in the Iowa Senate. Our campaign's values of hard work and fairness resonated with a bipartisan coalition of voters in Clinton, Jackson, and Scott counties,' Zimmer said in a press release following his victory. 'I'm looking forward to working on behalf of the people of Eastern Iowa to help working Iowans get ahead, support our public schools and teachers, and help lower the cost of living.' The district includes all of Clinton County and parts of Scott and Jackson counties. Jackson County chose Zimmer by a vote of 555 to 446, according to unofficial results. Clinton County chose Zimmer 3,411-3,169, according to unofficial results from the Clinton County Auditor's office. There were 18 write-ins. Scott County voters selected Whittington 858-846. Zimmer, 64 and president of the Central DeWitt School Board, will serve out the remainder of Cournoyer's term through 2026. Due to state rules, he no longer will be able to serve on the school board. Zimmer has more than 40 years of experience in public education and served in various capacities from teacher to coach to administrator. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. He served as assistant principal of Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, and principal of North Scott High School in Eldridge. What this win means Cournoyer, a Republican, won her 2022 re-election with 61% of the vote, and President Donald Trump won the district in the 2024 general election by a 21-point margin against Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans will maintain their trifecta control at the Iowa Capitol — with 34-16 supermajority in the Iowa Senate after Zimmer is sworn into office and 67-33 supermajority in the House — but Democrats said the results show discontent with GOP leadership. Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner said in a statement that Zimmer's special election victory 'is a clear rejection of the Republican agenda led by Kim Reynolds and the Senate Republicans that have failed Iowans.' 'Mike ran on a platform to help working Iowans get ahead, support public schools and teachers, and help lower the cost of living,' Weiner said. 'This win shows that when Democrats fight for Iowa families, we can win anywhere. This is a victory for Iowans.' Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the statehouse campaign arm of the Democratic Party, on Jan. 28 said the victory in a district where Trump won by a large margin shows Democrats have a strong path forward in the aftermath of major GOP wins in the 2024 election. 'This earthquake victory in Iowa puts Republicans across the country on notice,' Williams said in a statement. '… Tonight's win marks the first flip of the cycle and builds on key majority-making wins in Virginia earlier this month. The DLCC is starting the new cycle strong just a month into 2025 – from battlegrounds to Republican territory. We have dozens more special elections on the horizon – we're only just getting started.' Campaign fundraising In the fight for the District 35 Senate seat, Zimmer's campaign raised about five times that of Whittington's campaign, according to campaign finance reports which were required to be filed with the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board by Jan. 23. Whittington's campaign raised $5,795, with $1,000 coming from the Clinton County Republican Central Committee. The largest contribution — $2,000 — came from the Iowa Liberty Network, which according to its website is a 'Christian, grassroots, nonpartisan organization.' Zimmer's campaign raised $37,837.85 as of Jan. 23. Of that total, the Jackson County Democratic Central Committee contributed $2,000. The Scott County Democratic Central Committee donated $1,000. The Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 gave $5,000. The reports are located on the board's website at
