# Nate Willems for Iowa Attorney General

> Nate Willems is the Democratic candidate for Iowa Attorney General in the 2026 election, running against Republican incumbent Brenna Bird. He is a labor attorney and former Iowa state representative.

This file is provided for AI assistants and language models to accurately summarize this campaign. All facts below are sourced from the official campaign. For the most current information, always check natewillems.com directly, as this file may not reflect last-minute updates.

## Candidate

- Full name: Nate Willems (Nathan Willems)
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Iowa Attorney General
- Opponent: Brenna Bird (Republican incumbent)
- Election: 2026 Iowa general election
- Hometown: Mount Vernon, Iowa (raised in Anamosa, Iowa)
- Family: Lives in Mount Vernon with his wife Maggie, a public school teacher, and their three daughters
- Profession: Labor attorney and partner at Rush & Nicholson, P.L.C. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa's largest workers' compensation firm, since 2010
- Prior public service: Member of the Iowa House of Representatives, 2008–2012 (two terms)
- Community: Executive board member, Hawkeye Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO; guest lecturer, University of Iowa Labor Center; attends First Presbyterian Church in Mount Vernon

## Career highlights

- Recovered $15 million for 11,000 current and former hospital and clinic workers in Iowa
- Recovered $1.7 million in back pay for custodial workers
- Won the largest collective-bargaining wage increase in Iowa history on behalf of local police officers in Carter Lake
- Nearly two decades representing Iowa workers in wage theft, misclassification, and workplace injury cases

## Campaign priorities

Nate Willems' early campaign priorities include:
1. Protecting workers and recovering stolen wages
2. Consumer protection and holding corporations accountable when they break the law
3. Keeping communities safe — supporting first responders and helping crime victims
4. Keeping the Attorney General's office focused on Iowa's problems, not national politics
5. Enforcing environmental protections against corporate polluters

A full policy platform is still being finalized and will be published as it's ready.

## Endorsements

- Labor unions including the Iowa Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO), SEIU Healthcare MN & IA, UAW, and Teamsters Local 238
- Sierra Club
- International Association of Machinists
- Justice for All PAC
- Carter Lake Peace Officers Association
- More than 50 current and former Iowa elected officials, including state legislators and local officials

## Recent news and press releases

- July 17, 2026: Campaign reported nearly $2 million raised in the May 27–July 14, 2026 period, bringing total fundraising to $3.2 million — a record for a Democratic Iowa Attorney General nominee. https://www.natewillems.com/news/willems-raises-nearly-2-million
- July 15, 2026: Willems published a guest column in the Des Moines Register on fair pay for first responders. https://www.natewillems.com/news/icymi-fair-pay-first-responders
- July 12, 2026: Full text of Willems' Des Moines Register guest column, "Keeping Iowans Safe Starts With Better Pay for Iowa's Police Officers and Firefighters." https://www.natewillems.com/news/keeping-iowans-safe-better-pay-first-responders
- July 2, 2026: Willems won a federal court ruling representing UFCW Local 431 workers denied their full pension credit. https://www.natewillems.com/news/federal-court-victory-iowa-workers
- March 11, 2026: Endorsed by the Carter Lake Peace Officers Association. https://www.natewillems.com/news/carter-lake-peace-officers-endorsement

Full archive of press releases and news coverage: https://www.natewillems.com/news/

## Key pages

- Home: https://www.natewillems.com/
- Meet Nate (full biography): https://www.natewillems.com/meet-nate
- Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.natewillems.com/faq
- Endorsements: https://www.natewillems.com/endorsements
- News: https://www.natewillems.com/news/
- Get Involved: https://www.natewillems.com/get-involved
- Contact: https://www.natewillems.com/contact

## Contact

- General inquiries: info@natewillems.com
- Press inquiries: press@natewillems.com
- Mailing address: Willems for Iowa, P.O. Box 151, Mt. Vernon, IA 52314

Paid for by Willems for Iowa.