Mike Zimmer

Sen. Mike Zimmer is a small business owner and educator from DeWitt running for reelection to the Iowa Senate this fall. Over his long career in public education, Mike has worked closely with scores of students and parents to give the next generation a strong foundation for future success. Mike has a deep understanding of the issues affecting Iowa’s working families and is ready to continue his fight to uplift communities across the state. 

In 2025, Mike ran in a special election with the support of the DLCC Target Races program, in a district that supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election by over 20 points. By running a strong campaign and knocking on countless doors in the middle of winter, Mike ended up defying the odds by flipping his district blue. Defending this seat is a top priority for the DLCC and Iowa Democrats in 2026.

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 GOP control, a series of DLCC-backed special election victories in 2025 — including wins in deeply 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 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.