Iowa Senate

The **Iowa Senate** is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, Iowa's legislature.  There are 50 people in the Senate, one for each of 50 districts in Iowa.  Each district has about 59,500 people in it.  Each Senate district is composed of two House districts.  The Senate meets at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

Unlike the Iowa House of Representatives, Senate members - called "senators"—have terms of four years.  Half of the Senate is elected every two years, in even-numbered years.  There are no term limits for the Senate.

## Leadership

The President of the Senate is the leader of the Senate and serves as its chair.  The Senate President also sends legislation to committees.  Unlike the Speaker of the Iowa House, the Senate President does not put representatives on committees.   The Lieutenant Governor of Iowa was the President of the Senate until 1991, when a constitutional amendment separated the jobs.  Other Senate leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their party's members.

## Composition

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### Past notable members

- Steve King, U.S. House Representative, 2003 to present.
- Samuel J. Kirkwood, two time Governor of Iowa (1860–1864), (1876–1877); two time U.S. Senator (1866–1867), (1877–1881); U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1881–1882).
- Tom Vilsack, Governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007, Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in 2006, and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
- George A. Wilson, Governor of Iowa from 1939 to 1943.
- George G. Wright, U.S. Senator from 1871 to 1877.
- Patty Judge, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture from 1999 to 2007, Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 2007 to 2011

## Related pages

- Iowa House of Representatives

## Other websites

- Iowa Legislature _official government website_
- State Senate of Iowa at Project Vote Smart
- Iowa Senate Democrats
- Iowa Senate Republicans
- Current Iowa Senators

## Infobox (legislature)

- **name**: Iowa Senate
- **legislature**: Iowa General Assembly
- **coa pic**: Iowa-StateSeal.svg
- **session room**: Iowa Senate.JPG
- **house type**: Upper house
- **term limits**: None
- **new session**: January 10, 2011
- **leader1 type**: President of the Senate
- **leader1**: Jack Kibbie
- **party1**: (Iowa Democratic Party, D)
- **election1**: January 8, 2007
- **leader2 type**: President pro Tempore
- **leader2**: Jeff Danielson
- **party2**: (Iowa Democratic Party, D)
- **election2**: January 8, 2007
- **leader3 type**: Majority Leader
- **leader3**: Michael Gronstal
- **party3**: (Iowa Democratic Party, D)
- **election3**: January 8, 2007
- **leader4 type**: Minority Leader
- **leader4**: Jerry Behn
- **party4**: (Republican Party of Iowa, R)
- **election4**: November 10, 2011
- **members**: 50
- **term length**: 4 years
- **authority**: Legislative Department, Section 3, Iowa Constitution
- **salary**: $25,000/year + per diem
- **political groups1**: Iowa Democratic Party, Democratic Party (26)
 Republican Party of Iowa, Republican Party (23)
- **last election1**: November 2, 2010
(25 seats)
- **next election2**: November 6, 2012
(25 seats)
- **redistricting**: Legislative Service Agency makes plan

Iowa General Assembly passes plan
- **meeting place**: State Senate Chamber
Iowa State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa
- **website**: [http://www.legis.iowa.gov/ Iowa General Assembly]