Des Moines, Iowa — A state senator who was Governor Kim Reynolds’ budget director says he is exploring a run for governor.
Mike Bousselot of Ankeny has been a legislator for nearly four years. Bousselot says he was caught off guard, like a lot of Iowans by Governor Reynolds’ announcement that she would not run for a third term.
Bousselot was legal counsel and chief of staff for Governor Terry Branstad. Bousselot, who is 42, was born on the day in 1982 when Branstad was first elected governor. In 2009, Bousselot was among those who encouraged Branstad to launch a comeback campaign for governor, and Branstad, in a written statement, says he’s pleased it’s Bousselot who’s now exploring a run for governor.
Between his stints working for Branstad and Reynolds, Bousselot was an executive of Summit Agricultural Group, the company founded by Bruce Rastetter, who also owns the company developing the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline. Bousselot won a special election for a seat in the Iowa House in September of 2021 and has been a state senator since 2023. Bousselot says his decision won’t hinge on how many or who else may run for the Republican Party’s 2026 nomination for governor.
Bousselot says he’ll focus on economic growth and an “Iowa First” agenda.
Bousselot is a Davenport native who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting from the University of Iowa and a law degree from Drake University. He recently started his own land and real estate businesses.
KIWA Staff Photo
