Iowa House Republicans elected Rep. Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton as their new majority leader Monday.
He replaces Rep. Matt Windschitl of Missouri Valley, who resigned his leadership role to run for Congress in Iowa’s 4th District.
Kaufmann was first elected to the Iowa House in 2012, and since 2022 has chaired the House Ways and Means Committee, which handles tax policy. He is the son of Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann.
Kaufmann said he’s honored to be elected majority leader, and he won’t take the role lightly.
“I am committed to uniting our caucus to advance policies that strengthen our economy, support families and ensure our children will have bright futures,” he said in a written statement. “I look forward to working with Speaker Grassley to address the challenges and opportunities facing Iowa with bold, practical solutions.”
Rep. Pat Grassley will continue to serve as Speaker of the House, the most powerful position in that chamber. He said he has seen Kaufmann grow into a leader for House Republicans.
“I have seen many examples of how his bold leadership style has brought the caucus together toward meaningful legislation to move our state forward,” Grassley said. “I look forward to working closely with him to advance our caucus’s shared vision for Iowa.”
Grassley and Windschitl were elected in 2019 as Iowa House speaker and majority leader. Since then, the House GOP majority has grown from 53 out of 100 seats to a supermajority of 67 Republicans.
Kaufmann has been involved in passing high-profile legislation over the years, including laws shortening the early voting window and cutting income taxes, as well as efforts to restrict the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines.
After Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill in June that would have made it harder to use eminent domain for carbon pipelines, Kaufmann told Radio Iowa he would “work against and kill every single bill she comes up with.”
Last session, he also worked on a property tax relief bill with his Senate counterpart, but GOP lawmakers did not advance it.
House Minority Leader Brian Meyer, D-Des Moines, congratulated Kaufmann in a statement.
“I look forward to a respectful and constructive working relationship with the new majority leader,” Meyer said. “Iowa faces critical issues, like property tax reform, public education funding and economic struggles, and these challenges demand bipartisan solutions. It is my sincere hope that the Iowa House can rise above partisan divisions and deliver meaningful results for all Iowans.”
Iowa’s next legislative session is scheduled to begin in January 2026.
