The Senate Democratic caucus got a little bigger Monday, as Sen. Mike Zimmer was sworn into office after scoring a surprise victory in a special election last month.
Zimmer, an education professional and former president of the Central DeWitt School Board, took the oath of office Monday afternoon to represent Iowa Senate District 35, which includes Clinton County and parts of Jackson and Scott counties.
Iowa Democratic Senator Mike Zimmer is sworn into office on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in the Iowa State Senate Chambers.
Zimmer defeated Republican Kate Whittington in a Jan. 28 special election to represent the seat, which was vacated earlier this year when Chris Cournoyer resigned to become lieutenant governor.
The Democrat’s win was a surprise in a district that President Donald Trump won by more than 20 percentage points in November. Zimmer will serve the remainder of Cournoyer’s term, which runs through 2026.
With Zimmer’s swearing in, Republicans hold a 34-16 supermajority in the Iowa Senate.
Senators applaud as new Iowa Democratic Senator Mike Zimmer is sworn into office on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in the Iowa State Senate Chambers.
Zimmer, 64, has a degree from the University of Northern Iowa and has 40 years of experience as an educator, including serving as an assistant principal of Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf and principal of North Scott High School in Eldridge.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Democrat Mike Zimmer sworn into Iowa Senate after special election win
