KR
Kim Reynolds
RepublicanGovernor of Iowa| Age | 66 (b. 1959-08-04) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2017-01-01 (~9 yrs) |
| Religion | Lutheran (attends Lutheran Church of Hope, West Des Moines) |
| Education | Graduated Interstate 35 Community School District (1977); attended Northwest Missouri State University, Southeastern Community College, and Southwestern Community College without completing a degree; began a public administration program at Upper Iowa University in 2012; earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies from Iowa State University in December 2016 (age 57) with concentrations in political science, business management, and communications. |
| Prior occupation | Clarke County Treasurer (1994-2008); earlier worked in retail and other private-sector jobs |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | St. Charles, Iowa |
| Marital status | Married — Kevin Reynolds |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Iowa (governor's residence, Terrace Hill, Des Moines) |
Pending research: race / ethnicity · languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1994 |
| Previous offices | Clarke County Treasurer (1995-2008) · Iowa State Senate, District 48 (2009-2010) · Lieutenant Governor of Iowa (2011-2017) |
| Leadership | Governor of Iowa (since May 24, 2017); first female governor of Iowa · Chair, Republican Governors Association (2022-2023) · Chair, National Lieutenant Governors Association (2015-2016) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican; signed legislation including a six-week abortion ban, private-school vouchers (Students First Act), constitutional carry, and restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors |
| Signature legislation | Students First Act / education savings accounts (school vouchers), 2023 · Six-week abortion ban ('fetal heartbeat' law), 2023 · Constitutional (permitless) carry firearms law, 2021 · Ban on gender-affirming care for minors, 2023 · Restrictions on transgender students' participation in school sports, 2022 · Removal of gender identity from Iowa civil rights protections, 2025 |
Financial
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Mike Wells (Wells Enterprises/Blue Bunny CEO) ($30,000) · Kent Gage (Kent Corp. CEO) ($30,000)
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — First OWI/drunk-driving arrest (1999)
In 1999, Kim Reynolds, then the elected Clarke County Treasurer, was arrested for operating while intoxicated (OWI / drunk driving). Public records confirm she pleaded guilty. She has publicly acknowledged this arrest and a subsequent one in 2000 as part of a struggle with alcoholism, after which she sought treatment and has said she has been sober since around 2000. She remained in office afterward.
resolved — Second OWI/drunk-driving arrest (August 2000)
In August 2000, while serving as Clarke County Treasurer, Reynolds was stopped by an Iowa state trooper on Interstate 35 after nearly colliding with another vehicle and driving onto the median. Her blood-alcohol content was measured at .228, more than double the legal limit at the time. Because it was a second offense, she was initially charged with an aggravated misdemeanor (which could have disqualified her from holding public office), but she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. She subsequently sought inpatient treatment for alcoholism and has stated she has remained sober since around 2000. She continued as county treasurer. In 2023, Iowa's court system removed online access to her arrest records after they were found to have exposed her personal information.
resolved — Dickey v. Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board (private jet valuation complaint)
A complaint alleging Reynolds' campaign understated the value of a 2017 private jet flight was dismissed by Iowa's ethics board without investigation; a subsequent lawsuit challenging that dismissal was rejected on standing grounds by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2020.
resolved — Ethics board review of COVID-19 self-promotion ad campaign
State auditor alleged Reynolds' COVID-19 ad campaign, which used CARES Act funds and featured her likeness, violated Iowa's ban on taxpayer-funded self-promotion; the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board formally reviewed the matter and unanimously found no violation.
resolved — Open-records lawsuit settlement (Belin v. Reynolds and related cases)
Journalists Laura Belin, Clark Kauffman and Randy Evans, with affiliated media and nonprofit organizations, sued Governor Kim Reynolds and staff in December 2021, alleging the governor's office violated Iowa's open-records law by leaving multiple public-records requests unanswered for periods of five to eighteen months during the COVID-19 response. The Iowa Supreme Court in April 2023 rejected Reynolds' attempt to dismiss the claims, allowing the suit to proceed. In June 2023 the Polk County District Court approved a settlement in which the state agreed to pay roughly $135,000 in legal fees in the lead case (Belin v. Reynolds) and about $39,000 in related cases, all covering plaintiffs' attorney fees, plus a year of court oversight of the office's compliance with the open-records law. Reynolds remained in office.
resolved — Glenwood Resource Center wrongful-death settlement (Ramspott/Hillers)
A wrongful-death lawsuit over inadequate care of a resident at the state-run Glenwood Resource Center, naming Gov. Reynolds among the defendants in her official capacity, was settled for $3.4 million in November 2024.
ongoing — ACLU of Iowa open-records lawsuit over Satanic Temple event denial (ongoing)
The ACLU of Iowa sued Gov. Reynolds' office in April 2025 for withholding, on executive-privilege grounds, records related to the cancellation of a Satanic Temple event at the State Capitol; the case remains pending as of 2026.
ongoing — Reynolds v. Des Moines Register — executive-privilege records lawsuit (ongoing)
Gov. Reynolds sued the Des Moines Register in April 2025 to block release of staff emails sought under Iowa's open records law, asserting a novel executive-privilege claim; the case remains unresolved as of 2026.