Sen. Mike Klimesh elected Iowa Senate majority leader
Sen. Mike Klimesh, joined by Sens. Annette Sweeney, left, and Sarah Trone Garriott, right heard public comments on a bill related to pharmacy benefits managers Feb. 5, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch
September 24, 2025
Sen. Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville, was elected Wednesday to serve as Iowa Senate majority leader, taking over the role from Sen. Jack Whitver.
Republicans, who hold a 33-17 majority in the Iowa Senate, met Wednesday and elected Klimesh to take on the top Senate leadership job.
Klimesh was first elected to the Senate in 2020 and defeated Democratic challenger Brian Bruening in the 2024 general election. Previously, he served as mayor of Spillville for 22 years, in addition to having worked as plant manager for Graphics, Inc. in Calmar.
In the 2025 legislative session, Klimesh was chairman for the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, in addition to serving as vice chair for the Local Government Committee and for the Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittee.
Whitver announced Sept. 16 that he was retiring from the leadership position, which he has held since 2018, and would not seek reelection in 2026. The 45-year-old Grimes resident was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2024, and has said treatment was ongoing.
In a statement Wednesday, Klimesh thanked Whitver for his time leading the Senate GOP caucus.
“Leading a deep and talented group of senators is an honor, and with that honor comes a great responsibility,” Klimesh said. “I want to thank Jack for his years of service, his exceptional example as a leader, and most of all for his friendship. I can’t imagine anyone leaving behind bigger shoes to fill.”
As leader, Klimesh said he looks forward to “continuing to implement our agenda to reduce taxes, making it more affordable to live in Iowa, reduce barriers to work and invest in this state, expand the economy, and return Iowa schools to their status as the best in the country.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds congratulated Klimesh in a statement Wednesday. “Sen. Klimesh’s influence in the senate has steadily grown over the last four years, and I’m confident in his ability to successfully lead the Senate,” she said.
“I look forward to working with him in the upcoming legislative session to further our conservative agenda and build upon our years of success,” Reynolds said.
Iowa Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, also congratulated Klimesh Wednesday, while thanking Whitver for his service in the Legislature.
“I am hopeful that we can find ways to work together to deliver for and truly improve the lives of all Iowans in the bipartisan manner they expect from us,” Weiner said.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com.
