Iowa Senate Democratic leader Pam Jochum says she won't seek reelection this year

Iowa Senate Democratic leader Pam Jochum announced Friday that she will not seek reelection in 2024.

Jochum, from Dubuque, is serving her fourth term in the Iowa Senate. She has a long record at the Iowa Capitol: She was first elected to the Iowa House in 1993 and served eight consecutive terms before being elected to the Senate in 2008.

She became Senate President in 2013 when Democrats held the majority in the chamber. And in 2023, she was elected to lead the Senate Democratic caucus following the sudden ouster of Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville.

"I want to thank the people of Dubuque for the honor and privilege of serving them and our community in the Iowa Legislature," Jochum said in a news release. "It’s truly been an honor that words do not adequately express. I am excited to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders who will champion a brighter future for Iowa."

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Jochum said she had told her Senate Democratic colleagues before last summer's leadership shakeup that she intended to retire.

"And my colleagues in the Senate said it doesn’t matter, and even better because we know that you’re in it as a leader to really help the Senate Majority Fund and all of us rather than just pursue personal political ambitions," she said.

As the leader of the Senate Democrats, Jochum is in charge of leading the party's efforts to retake Iowa Senate seats. Democrats currently hold just 16 of 50 seats in the Senate, but Jochum said she was confident they would do well in November.

"While I am not running for reelection, I am still committed to delivering a better deal for all Iowans," she said in the news release. "As the leader of the Iowa Senate Democrats, I am confident we will secure Democratic victories across the state."

Jochum said she was proud of the role she was able to play in the Legislature in securing funding for projects revitalizing Dubuque, creating the HAWK-I children's health insurance program and the Iowa Public Information Board, allowing Iowans to register to vote on Election Day and investing in renewable energy, infrastructure and education.

Speaking to the Register, Jochum also cited the creation of the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan, which expanded Medicaid coverage in the state, and raising the state's minimum wage to $7.25 an hour in 2007, which remains the last time the minimum wage has been increased in Iowa.

"It was a proud moment at the time because we were actually able to move the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25," she said. "And we did that before the federal government even did it."

Tom Townsend, president of the Dubuque Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, announced Friday that he would run for Jochum's senate seat, with her endorsement.

"There needs to be more working-class folks in the state Legislature," Townsend said in a news release. "I have been fighting for working folks for over 30 years. In the Iowa Senate, I will continue advocating for labor and all working Iowans."

Townsend, a Democrat, is a licensed electrician and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He previously served for six years in the U.S. Navy.

Jochum praised Townsend's record of helping working people and fighting food insecurity in Dubuque and said she encouraged him to run for the seat.

"He’s just been very good, very active in our community and he’ll be a strong voice for the working class of Dubuque," she told the Register.

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: Senate Democratic leader Pam Jochum says she won't run for reelection