Iowa Democrats reelect Jennifer Konfrst, Zach Wahls as House and Senate leaders

Iowa Democrats have reelected their legislative leaders as they prepare for the 2023 legislative session, where they will hold fewer seats than they have in decades.

Republicans are expected to hold a majority of either 63 or 64 seats in the 100-member Iowa House and a 34-16 majority in the 50-member Iowa Senate after Democrats lost ground in the Nov. 8 election.

Legislative Democrats voted to keep Rep. Jennifer Konfrst and Sen. Zach Wahls as their party's leaders in the Iowa House and Senate, respectively, for the 2023 Iowa legislative session, which begins on Jan. 9.

Republicans also chose to keep the same leaders for the upcoming session, reelecting Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver and House Speaker Pat Grassley. Sen. Amy Sinclair will serve as Senate president after the current president, Jake Chapman, lost his reelection bid.

Jennifer Konfrst reelected House minority leader

House Democrats reelected Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, as minority leader on Nov. 12. Konfrst has led the Democratic caucus since 2021.

Konfrst is an associate professor at Drake University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She was first elected to the Iowa House in 2018.

“House Democrats are ready to fight for the values we all share as Iowans and put people over politics in the upcoming legislative session," Konfrst said in a statement. "While the election results were tough this year, we understand Iowans are fed up with politics and we’re going to stay focused on the issues important to them."

“We’ve got 15 new members this year who are strong community leaders bringing new perspectives and experience to the Iowa Legislature," Konfrst said. "We’re ready to get to work.”

Democrats in the House also chose Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, to serve again as minority whip. James, a Presbyterian pastor and college chaplain, was first elected in 2018.

Zach Wahls reelected Senate minority leader

Senate Democrats reelected Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, as minority leader on Nov. 18. Wahls has held the job since 2020.

Wahls is a vice president at GreenState Credit Union. He was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018 and won reelection to a second Senate term this year.

“As Iowans face high prices, slow growth, and rising uncertainty, Senate Democrats are committed to defending economic opportunity and fundamental rights,” Wahls said in a news release. “Republican politicians, meanwhile, are offering the same old extreme and unfair agenda rewarding big corporations over middle class families and attacking Iowans’ personal freedom.”

Senate Democrats also elected Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, as Democratic whip.

Trone Garriott is a Lutheran minister who works as coordinator of interfaith engagement for the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network. She was first elected in 2020 and this year won a highly competitive race where she unseated Republican Senate President Jake Chapman.

Sens. Nate Boulton, Eric Giddens, Pam Jochum and Herman Quirmbach will serve as assistant leaders, the release said.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Dems pick Jennifer Konfrst, Zach Wahls to lead party in Iowa Statehouse