State Senator Janice Weiner will be the new leader of Iowa Senate Democrats, replacing State Senator Pam Jochum, who did not seek re-election this year.

Weiner “grew up in a politically aware family in Coralville” and was a career Foreign Services officer with the U.S. State Department before moving back to Iowa in 2015. She represents Iowa Senate district 45, the chamber’s bluest district, covering Iowa City and University Heights in Johnson County. She first ran for the legislature in 2018, finishing second to Zach Wahls in the Democratic primary for a Senate district covering Coralville. She won a seat on the Iowa City council in 2019 and ran for the legislature again in 2022, when long-serving State Senator Joe Bolkcom retired.

Weiner is known for the well-researched comments she has often delivered during Iowa Senate committee meetings or floor debate.

Here is a portion of her remarks from March 2024, when the Senate debated an anti-immigration bill (Senate File 2340). She highlighted an obvious flaw in the legislation, since Iowa law enforcement could not realistically transport convicted migrants to a port of entry or monitor compliance with a judge’s removal order. “This bill is a political stunt and a false promise that doesn’t contain the needed resources,” she concluded.

Weiner is the only Jewish person currently serving in the Iowa Senate and was the first Jewish legislator elected in Iowa since Ralph Rosenberg served during the 1980s and early 1990s. Some of her floor speeches draw on Jewish ethics or beliefs. Speaking in March 2023 against a Republican bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors, Weiner explained why “This law violates my freedom of religion.”

The new Senate minority leader has sometimes drawn on her experience raising her granddaughter, now seven years old. This video shows part of her remarks from a February 2024 floor debate on a bill allocating money from Iowa’s opioid settlement fund.

Speaking in support of a Democratic amendment, Weiner noted that she has been waiting for two years for the GOP-controlled legislature to allocate these funds. This money can “really transform the future of substance use prevention and treatment in Iowa.” But legislators need to do it right.

Waiting for two years has “cost 450 lives” of Iowans who died from opioid overdoses, Weiner said. She added that she has “spent countless hours on the opioid issue, both professionally and personally,” because her daughter suffers from a co-occurring disorder and substance use disorder. “Believe me, I know,” Weiner said, her voice shaking with emotion.

In a statement Iowa Senate Democrats released on November 22, Weiner said she was honored to be chosen to lead the caucus.

I have spent countless hours talking to Iowans all over our state – from small towns to urban centers, from the suburbs to our rural communities. I listened to Iowans describe their struggle to make ends meet, their challenges accessing healthcare, and their concerns about inadequate resources and a lack of funding for their kids’ public schools. It is clear we have a lot of work to do for the people of Iowa.

As I look ahead to 2025 and beyond, Senate Democrats will fight to ensure opportunity for all Iowans – every worker, every family, and every child. We will hold those in power accountable, and work to preserve and protect Iowans’ freedoms. 

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Senator Pam Jochum for her leadership. I look forward to working with all my colleagues as I assume the responsibilities of serving as the Democratic Leader.

The same news release said State Senator Bill Dotzler will serve as the minority whip, the second-ranking Democrat in the chamber. He represents Senate district 31, based in Waterloo. The four assistant minority leaders will be Cindy Winckler (Senate district 49, Davenport), Molly Donahue (Senate district 37, Cedar Rapids), Claire Celsi (Senate district 16, western suburbs of Des Moines), and Izaah Knox (Senate district 17, covering part of the city of Des Moines).

Democrats are likely to hold fifteen of the 50 Iowa Senate seats when the legislature reconvenes in January, their smallest contingent in the chamber since 1970. One race has not been called, pending a recount. After the canvass, Democratic State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott led by 24 votes in Senate district 14, covering part of Dallas County.

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Top photo of State Senator Janice Weiner speaking against Governor Kim Reynolds’ school voucher bill on January 23, 2023 was first published on Weiner’s Facebook page.