# Jeff Kurtz

Jeff Kurtz (born 1954) is an American politician and retired locomotive engineer who represented the 83rd district of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021, which at the time consisted of parts of southern Lee County, including all of Fort Madison and Keokuk. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

## Early life

Kurtz was born in 1954 in Fort Madison, Iowa. He graduated from Aquinas High School in 1972. He attended Southeastern Community College and Iowa State University. He joined the Santa Fe Railroad as a fireman in 1974.

## Political career

Kurtz announced his candidacy for the 83rd district of the Iowa House of Representatives in 2018 after incumbent Jerry Kearns announced he would not seek reelection. He won the Democratic primaries on June 5, 2018, with over 56 percent of the vote, and defeated Republican Jeff Reichman in the general election on November 6 by over 800 votes. He was subsequently appointed to the Labor, Public Safety, Transportation, and Ways and Means committees.
Kurtz endorsed Bernie Sanders for president in 2019.
Kurtz ran for reelection in 2020 but lost to Republican Martin Graber by over 700 votes.

## Personal life

Kurtz has a wife, Debbie, and three adult children. He resides in Fort Madison.
Kurtz worked as a locomotive engineer with BNSF from 1975 to 2014. He has been a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) for over 40 years, and served as president of BLET Local 391 for eight years, chairman of the BLET Iowa State Legislative Board for ten years, and BLET Legislative and Safety Director for ten years.

## Electoral history

* = incumbent
| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| Iowa House of Representatives Democratic primary elections, 2018 District 83 Turnout: 1,633 | Democratic | Jeff Kurtz | Democratic | 923 | 56.5 |
| Iowa House of Representatives Democratic primary elections, 2018 District 83 Turnout: 1,633 | Democratic | Bob Morawitz | Democratic | 561 | 34.4 |
| Iowa House of Representatives Democratic primary elections, 2018 District 83 Turnout: 1,633 | Democratic | Michael Hardy | Democratic | 146 | 8.9 |
| Iowa House of Representatives Democratic primary elections, 2018 District 83 Turnout: 1,633 | Democratic | Other/Write-in votes | | 3 | 0.2 |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2018 District 83 Turnout: 10,274 | Democratic | Jeff Kurtz | Democratic | 5,552 | 54 |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2018 District 83 Turnout: 10,274 | Democratic | Jeff Reichman | Republican | 4,705 | 45.8 |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2018 District 83 Turnout: 10,274 | Democratic | Other/Write-in votes | | 17 | 0.2 |
| Iowa House of Representatives Democratic primary elections, 2020 District 83 Turnout: 2,285 | Democratic | Jeff Kurtz | Democratic | 2,281 | 99.8 |
| Iowa House of Representatives Democratic primary elections, 2020 District 83 Turnout: 2,285 | Democratic | Other/Write-in votes | | 4 | 0.2 |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2020 District 83 Turnout: 13,175 | Republican | Martin Graber | Republican | 6,967 | 52.9 |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2020 District 83 Turnout: 13,175 | Republican | Jeff Kurtz* | Democratic | 6,197 | 47 |
| Iowa House of Representatives general elections, 2020 District 83 Turnout: 13,175 | Republican | Other/Write-in votes | | 11 | 0.1 |