State Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville, in a social media post Monday, described and defended the events that led to his ouster last week as Democrats’ leader in the Iowa Senate.
Wahls was voted out of his position as Iowa Senate minority leader when Senate Democrats called an impromptu meeting and voted to make Sen. Pam Jochum, of Dubuque, their new leader.
Wahls’ post Monday was his first public comment since the vote.
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“I am no longer leader because I made the difficult decision to fire two longtime staffers who did not share my vision for change while restructuring our staff. My Senate Democratic colleagues disagreed with my decision,” Wahls said in the post. “There is always a resistance to change and new ideas, and I stand by the decision because Iowa Democrats desperately need a new direction and leaders who will chart that course.”
The two Democratic caucus staff members that Wahls had fired, Erik Bakker and Deb Kattenhorn, are once again employed by the caucus, a spokesman confirmed Monday.
Previous disagreements over Wahls’ direction as caucus leader also led to his ouster, although neither Wahls nor Senate Democrats have not said publicly what those issues were. Senate Democrats did not specify any reasons for the change in a statement issued the day after the vote.
Wahls’ post made no mention of his future plans.
A 31-year-old from Coralville serving his second four-year term in the Iowa Senate, Wahls declined further comment, and referred The Gazette back to his public statement.
There are just 16 Democrats in the 50-member Iowa Senate. That’s the lowest number of Senate seats held by either of the two major parties in 50 years.
Iowa Statehouse Republicans have held the governor’s office and agenda-setting majorities in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature since 2017, giving them full control over the state lawmaking process over that time.
“So many people are discouraged about the direction of our state and the losses our party has sustained over the past decade, and if you are one of them, I want to speak directly to you,” Wahls said in his post. “While they want us to give in to cynicism, we must refuse to accept that Iowa is lost forever.
“Our fight for liberty, justice, and shared prosperity is difficult. Our success will require honest reflection, an immense amount of hard work, and a deep commitment to change. And while change is always hard — Iowans are counting on us, and failure is not an option.”
Wahls was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018, and in 2020 was elected leader of the minority-party Senate Democrats. He first gained prominence in 2011 when he spoke on the Iowa House floor about his two mothers as legislators debated a proposal to ban same-sex marriage in the state.
Jochum, 68, has served in the Iowa Senate since 2009, and before that had served in the Iowa House since 1993. In 2012, she was chosen by her peers as the second woman and first female Democrat to serve as Iowa Senate president.
The next session of the Iowa Legislature is scheduled to convene Jan. 8, 2024.
www.thegazette.com
Wahls was voted out of his position as Iowa Senate minority leader when Senate Democrats called an impromptu meeting and voted to make Sen. Pam Jochum, of Dubuque, their new leader.
Wahls’ post Monday was his first public comment since the vote.
Advertisement
“I am no longer leader because I made the difficult decision to fire two longtime staffers who did not share my vision for change while restructuring our staff. My Senate Democratic colleagues disagreed with my decision,” Wahls said in the post. “There is always a resistance to change and new ideas, and I stand by the decision because Iowa Democrats desperately need a new direction and leaders who will chart that course.”
The two Democratic caucus staff members that Wahls had fired, Erik Bakker and Deb Kattenhorn, are once again employed by the caucus, a spokesman confirmed Monday.
Previous disagreements over Wahls’ direction as caucus leader also led to his ouster, although neither Wahls nor Senate Democrats have not said publicly what those issues were. Senate Democrats did not specify any reasons for the change in a statement issued the day after the vote.
Wahls’ post made no mention of his future plans.
A 31-year-old from Coralville serving his second four-year term in the Iowa Senate, Wahls declined further comment, and referred The Gazette back to his public statement.
There are just 16 Democrats in the 50-member Iowa Senate. That’s the lowest number of Senate seats held by either of the two major parties in 50 years.
Iowa Statehouse Republicans have held the governor’s office and agenda-setting majorities in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature since 2017, giving them full control over the state lawmaking process over that time.
“So many people are discouraged about the direction of our state and the losses our party has sustained over the past decade, and if you are one of them, I want to speak directly to you,” Wahls said in his post. “While they want us to give in to cynicism, we must refuse to accept that Iowa is lost forever.
“Our fight for liberty, justice, and shared prosperity is difficult. Our success will require honest reflection, an immense amount of hard work, and a deep commitment to change. And while change is always hard — Iowans are counting on us, and failure is not an option.”
Wahls was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018, and in 2020 was elected leader of the minority-party Senate Democrats. He first gained prominence in 2011 when he spoke on the Iowa House floor about his two mothers as legislators debated a proposal to ban same-sex marriage in the state.
Jochum, 68, has served in the Iowa Senate since 2009, and before that had served in the Iowa House since 1993. In 2012, she was chosen by her peers as the second woman and first female Democrat to serve as Iowa Senate president.
The next session of the Iowa Legislature is scheduled to convene Jan. 8, 2024.
Wahls issues public statement after his ouster as Iowa Senate Democrats’ leader
Wahls was voted out as leader by his peers after he fired two long-time Senate Democrat staffers
www.thegazette.com
