Jacob Welper

Jacob Welper is an Iowa Army National Guard Sergeant and teacher running to flip a seat in the Iowa House in November. Starting as an Eagle Scout, Jacob’s career has been built around service. Jacob spent nearly a decade teaching future generations in Iowa public schools, and continues to work as a substitute teacher while serving in the Iowa Army National Guard. If he is elected, Jacob is committed to fighting for public schools, increasing access to affordable health care, supporting farmers and small business owners, and bringing economic relief to working families.

In 2024, District 59 elected a Republican representative by a margin of less than 400 votes. This year, Jacob, with the DLCC’s backing, is perfectly positioned to flip this battleground district and help Iowa Democrats gain ground in the state House.

Iowa is emerging as a historic opportunity to prevent a GOP supermajority in the Iowa Senate and break the supermajority in the Iowa House.

After nearly a decade of full GOP control, a series of DLCC-backed special election victories in 2025 — including wins in Republican districts — signaled a shift in the political landscape. These victories not only broke the Republican supermajority in the Iowa Senate but also proved that, with early investment, Democrats can win even in the toughest terrain.

In 2026, defending these hard-won Senate seats and making targeted gains in the state House will be critical to stopping Republican overreach and restoring balance in the legislature.

The DLCC is all hands on deck to keep up our momentum.