Mike Zimmer

A longtime educator, Pickup is running for elective office for the first time.

He worked on Mike Zimmer's successful campaign during the special election last year that sent Zimmer into the Iowa Senate.

And Democratic leaders encouraged Pickup to run in this election for an Iowa House seat.

"I was a social studies and government teacher, and the key to my success as an educator was relationship building," Pickup said.

They contacted 400 likely voters in that election in that district.

And it showed initially that Democrat state senator Mike Zimmer had a three-point lead over the Republican challenger Joe Studding.

The pollsters weren't trusting of the decision.

They thought there was something wrong with that.

Then Charlie McClinic, which was one of the holdout Republicans, he voted no.

And then finally, two Democratic senators, Tom Townsend and Mike Zimmer, they provided the final two yes votes to get it to 28 to 19.

And this sometimes happens when members of the minority party vote.

are willing to support a bill, but they don't want to be the ones to help it get over the top.

But in the House Democratic caucus, I mean, the leader, the minority leader, Brian Meyer, voted for this tax incentive bill.

but then the minority whip sean bagnefsky voted against it the ranking member on the ways and means committee said that he had a lot of concerns about it he wasn't sure but he said with hope he's going to vote for it and we need to audit it every step of the way whereas in the senate i felt like the message was more clear that they thought that this was rushed that this wasn't a good investment for iowans and the two senators who did vote for it Both of them represent Mississippi River districts.

Both of them have strong ties to organized labor, Mike Zimmer and Tom Townsend.

And so I think it was more understandable that they voted for the bill.

I believe that they waited until Republicans have had 26 Republican votes before they put their votes on the board.

That was Mike Zimmer and Tom Townsend, both Eastern Mississippi River Democrats with strong labor ties.

And Townsend, a union guy himself in his career and Zimmer in a tough position.

tough reelection there.

Two candidates are vying to represent Iowa's 35th Senate district in November's election in what's become a target race for both the state's Democratic and Republican parties.

The district, which encompasses Clinton County and parts of Jackson and Scott Counties, including Maquoketa, is sought by Democratic incumbent Mike Zimmer and Republican challenger Joe Studding.

Zimmer broke the Republican supermajority in the Senate when he won the seat in a 2025 special election.

Currently, Republicans outnumber Democrats 33 to 17 in that chamber.

Are we still putting all of our money in suburban areas that are growing with the tax base and can afford to take on debt? We need to look at that.

Asked what separates him from his opponent, Studding said his leadership experience and Republican alignment puts him in a better position to make his voice heard within his caucus and the Senate.

Mike Zimmer.

Age 66.

The federal candidates endorsed by the IFU include Josh Turek for U.S. Senate, Lindsey James for Iowa's Second Congressional District, and Christina Bohannon for District 1.

Notable state candidates to win the organization's stamp of approval include Rod Sand for Governor, Chris Jones for Secretary of Agriculture, Nate Willems for Attorney General, Mike Zimmer for the 35th Senate District, and Norlin Momsen for the 70th House District.

The union endorsements come in stark contrast to those made by other Iowa agricultural organizations, notably the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Farm Bureau, who have both openly supported a very Republican ticket in this year's election.

The Dubuque Area Land and Water Legacy has endorsed Jones for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.