DES MOINES – Iowa Senator Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa, announced today his decision to not seek reelection in 2026 and retire from the Iowa Senate. Sen. Rozenboom was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2012 and represents Senate District 19, which covers all of Jasper County and portions of Mahaska and Marion counties. Along with his committee assignments, Sen. Rozenboom serves as the Senate President Pro Tempore.
“Serving for 14 years in the Iowa Senate has been the highlight of my life,” said Sen. Rozenboom. “I ran for the Senate in 2012 because I was concerned with runaway spending, plans for tax hikes, and an agenda that continually threatened Iowa agriculture and Iowa’s future. Rather than sit on the sidelines and complain, I ran for the Iowa Senate to change the direction of this state.”
“Since Republicans took the majority in 2016, I have had the opportunity to be a part of something special. Senate Republicans put the state budget back on track by passing responsible, sustainable budgets and moving Iowa from one of the highest income tax states in the country to one of the lowest. After supporting multiple property tax relief packages over the last 8 years, this year, I am eager to vote one more time to put taxpayers first and reduce the cost of government.”
“While fiscal responsibility was an important priority, it was not the only issue facing this state. I was privileged to play a leading role in creating policy to improve water quality in Iowa. In 2018 we passed what I consider to be the most significant water quality legislation ever passed in the state of Iowa. We provided dedicated and ongoing funding to improve the quality of Iowa rivers and streams with Senate File 512. This bill created incentives for Iowa landowners to improve the quality of Iowa’s water without the heavy hand of government regulation or confiscation of property.”
“I have long been a champion of school choice. It was an honor to chair the Senate Education Committee and lead on the passage of one of the most robust school choice laws in the country. Parents and students now all have the opportunity to find the school that best fits their needs.”
“Tax cuts, water quality, and school choice are important parts of making Iowa a better place to live, but ultimately none of those policies matter if Iowans do not have the right to life. The pro-life policies advanced in my time may be the most important votes I took. From stopping taxpayer funding of abortion providers and a 72-hour waiting period for an abortion, to the heartbeat bill and the life amendment, no other issue is as close to my heart as the pro-life cause. I remain humbled to be a part those monumental reforms.”
Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh praised Sen. Rozenboom and congratulated him on his retirement, “Despite my best efforts, Ken decided to retire. While he will be deeply and profoundly missed by me and many of us in the Iowa Senate, his tenure is marked by a transformational era in Iowa government and his legacy will endure. Ken is one of the kindest, most principled, and common-sense people I have known. I wish him and his family all the best in the next phase of their lives.”
