Des Moines, Iowa (RI) — Jack Whitver, the top Republican in the Iowa Senate, is stepping down from his leadership position and will not seek reelection in 2026.
Whitver has been Senate Majority Leader for the past seven and a half years. Last spring, Whitver announced he’d been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and Whitver says while progress remains positive, he still has a long way to go. Whitver, who’s from Ankeny, was first elected to the Senate in early 2011. Whitver says he ran because taxes were too high and he wanted to make it easier to work, start a business, and raise a family in Iowa — and he believes through is service in the senate he’s accomplished those goals. Whitver’s current term in the Iowa Senate extends until early 2027. Senate Republicans will meet soon to select a new majority leader. Governor Kim Reynolds says Whitver’s been part of the GOP leadership in the statehouse during one of the most consequential periods in modern Iowa history. Whitver has constantly listed tax cuts as his top priority. This is how he put it five years ago.
[RIkayJackJake2] :04 :on the agenda.
That was in October of 2020. This past spring, Whitver received the Herbert Hoover Uncommon Service Award, and he made brief remarks on the Senate floor.
[RIkayWhitverRetires2] :14 :and helping us.”
Whitver turned 45 earlier this month. He and his wife are the parents of three children.
KIWA Staff Photo
