State Sen. Mike Bousselot will not run for governor, he announced, and will instead seek election to retiring Sen. Jack Whitver’s Senate seat in the Iowa Legislature.
“I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and encouragement from Iowans regarding my potential campaign for governor,” he said in a statement. “While visiting dozens of counties this summer, I heard the stories of optimism for our state and opportunity for their families. Ultimately, after prayer and reflection with my family, it is not the right time for me to pursue a run for governor.”
Bousselot, a Republican, has served in Iowa Senate District 21 since winning a special election in 2021. It is a competitive Ankeny-based seat in Polk County, and he won election by a slim 2 percentage points in 2022.
He announced in April he would explore a run for governor after Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said she would not seek reelection. And he has made some campaign appearances at forums and meetings of conservative activists.
But he said Wednesday, Nov. 19, he would forego a gubernatorial run and instead pursue reelection in an open Senate district that is safer for Republicans.
That seat, Senate District 23, stretches across parts of Polk and Dallas counties. Whitver won his 2022 reelection there by more than 17 percentage points.
But Whitver announced in September he would step down as majority leader and retire at the end of his term, leaving the seat open in 2026. He revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Whitver is supporting Bousselot’s candidacy.
“I am proud to support Mike Bousselot,” Whitver said in a statement. “He is a humble, hard-working legislator who listens to his constituents and serves his district and the state well.”
Bousselot, 42, is an attorney. He has chaired the Commerce Committee in the Iowa Senate and serves on the Judiciary, State Government, Appropriations and Ways and Means committees.
Before being elected to the Senate, he served one term in the Iowa House.
Bousselot also previously worked for former Gov. Terry Branstad as a policy adviser and chief of staff. He also led the Iowa Department of Management under Reynolds and worked for Summit Agricultural Group as managing director and head of external relations.
The Republican gubernatorial primary field is crowded. State Rep. Eddie Andrews, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, businessman Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former Department of Administrative Services Director Adam Steen are running.
On the Democratic side, state auditor Rob Sand and political consultant Julie Stauch have formed campaigns.
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Republican Mike Bousselot won’t run for Iowa governor, will seek safer state Senate seat
Reporting by Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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