Des Moines, Iowa — Democrats in the Iowa Senate have selected their next leader.
Janice Weiner of Iowa City will be the Minority Leader in the Iowa Senate when the legislature starts January 13th. Weiner is a retired US State Department foreign service officer who moved back to her hometown of Iowa City in 2015, served on the city council, and was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2022. Democrats will hold just 15 of the 50 seats in the Iowa Senate in January, their lowest point since 1970. Weiner says Senate Democrats will work to hold those in power accountable and fight to ensure opportunity for all Iowans.
Weiner is the third leader for Senate Democrats in less than two years. In mid-2023, Senate Democrats ousted Senator Zach Wahls of Coralville after he hired new staff to work for Senate Democrats and fired two longtime employees. Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque has been Minority Leader in the state senate since then. She did not seek reelection and is retiring after about 32 years as a state legislator.
