Iowa Attorney General: Bird vs. Willems

About the Office

The Attorney General is the state's chief legal officer, elected to a four-year term. The AG enforces consumer protection laws, prosecutes complex criminal cases, represents Iowa in lawsuits, and can join multi-state legal actions.

The AG decides which lawsuits the state pursues or joins (often against the federal government or large corporations), how aggressively to enforce consumer protection, and which cases to prosecute. The office shapes how state laws on civil rights, antitrust, and criminal justice are actually applied.

Race at a Glance

Incumbent

Bird (R)

Term Length

4 Years

Election Day

Nov 3, 2026

Brenna Bird became the first Republican Iowa Attorney General since 1979 when she defeated Tom Miller in 2022. Nate Willems, a labor attorney and former state representative, is the Democratic nominee.

The Candidates

Each candidate's positions are drawn from primary sources: campaign communications, voting records, debates, and direct interviews.

Brenna Bird (R)

Republican incumbent · Iowa Attorney General since 2023

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Bio and Career

Bird grew up in Dexter, Iowa and earned her bachelor's from Drake University in 1997 and her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 2001. Her early career included private practice at her own firm, serving as chief of staff to former U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA), teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, and being elected Guthrie County Attorney.

In 2022 she was elected Iowa Attorney General, defeating 10-term Democratic incumbent Tom Miller, making her the first Republican in the office in 44 years. As AG she has positioned Iowa as a frequent litigant against the federal government and out-of-state actors. She has sued the Biden administration on farm policy, student loan forgiveness, and other issues. She is currently suing California over its restrictions on Iowa agricultural products. She also sued Meta alleging Instagram and Facebook harmed Iowa children, which resulted in a $135.7 million settlement with Iowa announced in August 2026 as part of a $17.1 billion multistate deal. This lawsuit resulted in one of the largest consumer protection settlements in history. Domestically, her office has doubled the number of prosecutors handling violent crime, established a dedicated cold case unit for Iowa's 400+ unsolved homicides, and secured passage of the 2026 Victim Protections Bill, which allows lifetime protection orders for sex abuse victims and tightens sex offender registration requirements.

She endorsed Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 Iowa caucuses and traveled to New York in May 2024 to sit with him during his criminal hush-money trial. Trump publicly predicted in January 2024 that she would be Iowa's future governor. She considered a run for governor after Gov. Kim Reynolds announced her retirement, but in July 2025 opted to seek reelection as AG instead.

Primary Issues

Law Enforcement & Crime Victim Support

Doubled the office's prosecutors handling violent crime, established a cold case unit for Iowa's 400+ unsolved homicides, and secured passage of the 2026 Victim Protections Bill expanding protections for sex abuse victims.

Legal Fights Against Federal and Out-of-State Overreach

Sued the Biden administration on farm policy, student loans, and gun regulations. Has joined multistate lawsuits against California over its agricultural restrictions and its plastics law. Frames her role as defending constitutional rights and Iowa's sovereignty from federal and out-of-state overreach.

Protecting Children & Consumers Online

Sued Meta alleging Instagram and Facebook harm Iowa children, winning a $135.7 million settlement that funds restitution for affected Iowans and requires Meta to add child-safety features. Sued crypto ATM companies used in scams against Iowans, which she says made Iowa the first state to do so, and pushed 2026 crypto ATM oversight legislation.

Endorsements

President Donald Trump
U.S. House Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-4)
Mike Bousselot, state senator
Maggie's List

Donor Information

Total individual contributions: 3,551
In-state: 3,201 (90.1%) Out-of-state: 350 (9.9%)
Small-dollar donors ($100 or less): By count: 2,407 of 3,551 (67.8%) By dollar volume: $110,910 of $7,532,743 (1.5%)

1. RAGA Action Fund — Washington, DC — $5,069,000

Political action committee affiliated with the Republican Attorneys General Association, which supports Republican candidates for state attorney general nationwide.

2. Jeff Broin — Sioux Falls, SD — $100,000

Founder and CEO of POET LLC, one of the world's largest biofuel and ethanol producers. A DNR order found that actual harm to the environment and public health likely occurred at POET's Shell Rock plant.

3. Miriam Adelson — Las Vegas, NV — $50,000

Major Republican and Zionist donor; widow of Sheldon Adelson.

3. Gage Kent — Muscatine, IA — $50,000

CEO of Kent Corporation, a Muscatine-based global agribusiness holding company.

Source: Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board (IECDB), as of July 14, 2026. webapp.iowa.gov/iecdb

Nate Willems (D)

Democratic nominee · Labor attorney · Former Iowa state representative

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Bio and Career

Willems was born and raised in Anamosa, Iowa, and now lives in Mount Vernon with his wife Maggie and their three daughters. He earned a bachelor's degree in foreign service from Georgetown University (2001) and a law degree from the University of Iowa (2007), and has practiced at Rush & Nicholson since 2010. He is a labor attorney and partner at Rush & Nicholson, P.L.C. in Cedar Rapids, focusing on wage theft, workers' compensation, and union contract law, and has served on the executive board of the Hawkeye Area Labor Council, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. As a labor attorney he has recovered $15 million for 11,000 hospital and clinic workers in Iowa and $1.7 million in back pay for custodians, and describes his own work as just a drop in the bucket against an estimated $900 million per year in wage theft from Iowa workers' paychecks.

He was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2008 and re-elected in 2010, serving two terms (2009–2013) representing then-District 29. As a legislator he passed legislation penalizing insurance companies that deny workers' compensation claims without legitimate reason, and he fought against early Republican efforts to strip public-employee collective bargaining rights (a rollback Republicans later achieved under Gov. Reynolds). After his House district was redrawn during redistricting, he ran for Iowa Senate District 48 in 2012 and narrowly lost to Republican Dan Zumbach.

He announced his campaign in May 2025 as the first Democrat in the 2026 AG race, and has been endorsed by the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

Primary Issues

Wage Theft & Worker Protections

He cites an estimated $900 million per year stolen from Iowa workers' paychecks through unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, and misclassification. Pledges to create a dedicated wage enforcement unit inside the AG's office.

Environmental Enforcement & Corporate Accountability

Wants penalties large enough to deter polluters. His first TV ad criticizes Bird for not going beyond the DNR's $10,000 fine against POET's Shell Rock plant incident. He also wants stronger consumer protection and nursing home accountability.

Refocusing the Office on Iowans, Not Political Grandstanding

His main critique of Bird is that the AG shouldn't file lawsuits for press releases or "getting involved in Washington political fights." Frames the AG as "the largest law firm in the state of Iowa" that should be supporting county prosecutors and serving regular Iowans.

Endorsements

Service Employees International Union
Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Former Attorney General of Iowa Tom Miller
Teamsters Local 238

Donor Information

Total individual contributions: 7,199
In-state: 6,366 (88.4%) Out-of-state: 833 (11.6%)
Small-dollar donors ($100 or less): By count: 5,435 of 7,199 (75.5%) By dollar volume: $241,504 of $3,236,667 (7.5%)

1. DAGA Individual PAC — Washington, DC — $1,541,000

Political action committee affiliated with the Democratic Attorneys General Association, which supports Democratic candidates for state attorney general nationwide.

2. Rod Womer — Newbury Park, CA — $34,000

Founder of Woka Foundation, a pro-environmental vitality organization.

3. Keith Whipple — Cedar Rapids, IA — $32,000

Source: Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board (IECDB), as of July 14, 2026. webapp.iowa.gov/iecdb

How the Office Would Change

Bird has used the Attorney General's office as an active litigator on national conservative priorities, joining and leading lawsuits against the Biden administration, California, and companies like Meta, resulting in a $135.7 million settlement from Meta announced in 2026. She has also expanded its criminal work, doubling the prosecutors handling violent crime and creating a cold case unit, and has pursued consumer fraud cases such as suits against crypto ATM companies.

Willems has proposed refocusing the office toward wage theft enforcement, penalties against polluters, consumer protection, and support for county attorneys prosecuting violent crime, arguing the office has drifted from its traditional role serving individual Iowans.

The choice on this office is purely about what you believe the AG's job should be.