Brenna Bird
Brenna Bird | |
|---|---|
| 34th Attorney General of Iowa | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Governor | Kim Reynolds |
| Preceded by | Tom Miller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brenna Findley 1976 (age 48–49) Dexter, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Bob Bird |
| Education | Drake University (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
| Signature | |
Brenna Bird (née Findley; born 1976)[1] is an American lawyer and politician who has served as Iowa Attorney General since 2023. She is a member of the Republican Party.
Early life and education
Bird grew up on a farm near Dexter, Iowa. She earned her bachelor's degree from Drake University and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 2001.[2]
Career
Bird spent more than seven years working for U.S. Representative Steve King (Jan 2003 - May 2010), rising to Chief of Staff. In the 2010 elections, Bird ran for Attorney General of Iowa. She lost to incumbent Tom Miller by 11 percent.[3] She considered running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2014 elections, but opted against running.[4] Bird served as counsel to Governor Terry Branstad. She was "county attorney in Fremont County, Audubon County"[5] and became county attorney for Guthrie County, Iowa in 2018.[6] In 2019, after hearing "six weeks of evidence, including testimony from Branstad and others,"[7] a jury ruled that Branstad and Bird (then known as Brenna Findley) had discriminated against an employee in 2010-2011 because of his sexual orientation, and awarded him $1.5 million,[8] but the verdict was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2021.[7]
She ran against[9] Miller in the 2022 Iowa Attorney General election.[10] She narrowly defeated Miller, who had served ten four-year terms as attorney general.[11][12]
On April 9, 2023, Bird's office ordered a pause in the state's practice of paying for emergency contraception or abortions for rape victims.[13]
Bird's office also filed or joined more than a dozen multi-state lawsuits against the Biden administration in 2023 and at least a dozen more in 2024.[14]
Bird's office also joined a suit, Texas v. Becerra,[15] in the United States District Court Northern District Of Texas Lubbock Division asking the court to "vacate a federal rule prohibiting discrimination against disabled people in health care settings, [and] to declare a 1973 law known as Section 504 unconstitutional.[14][15]
Personal life
Bird lives with her husband, Bob Bird,[16] and their son on her family farm in southeastern Guthrie County.[17] Bird is a member of the All Saints Church.[18]
Electoral History
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Miller (incumbent) | 607,779 | 55.5% | |
| Republican | Brenna Findley | 486,057 | 44.4% | |
| Write-in | 797 | 0.07% | ||
| Total votes | 1,094,633 | 100.0% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brenna Bird | 611,432 | 50.8% | |
| Democratic | Tom Miller (incumbent) | 590,890 | 49.1% | |
| Write-in | 801 | 0.07% | ||
| Total votes | 1,203,123 | 100.00% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
References
- ^ "Where Brenna Bird & Tom Miller stand on key issues in Iowa attorney general race". The Des Moines Register. October 4, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Alex (April 21, 2013). "Q & A with Brenna Findley '01, Counsel to IA Governor Terry Branstad". The Collegian. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Gruber-Miller, Stephen (January 4, 2022). "Brenna Bird running for Iowa attorney general against Tom Miller". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ Jacobs, Jennifer (February 3, 2014). "GOP's Brenna Findley rules out run for Congress this year". Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ^ DeFruscio, Myah (January 28, 2022). "Bird makes run for Iowa Attorney General". Atlantic News-Telegraph. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ "Meet Iowa attorney general candidates in midterm elections 2022". Des Moines Register. October 4, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Foley, Ryan (June 30, 2021). "Court overturns gay bias verdict against ex-Iowa governor". Associated Press News. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Sullivan, Kate (July 16, 2019). "Jury finds ex-Iowa governor discriminated against gay official". CNN. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Lear, Bruce (September 24, 2022). "Brenna Bird's tv ad is over the top".
- ^ "Brenna Bird wins Iowa attorney general race over longtime AG Tom Miller". KCCI. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ Stern, Seth (November 9, 2022). "Longest-Ever Serving State Attorney General Defeated in Iowa". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Gruber-Miller, Stephen (November 8, 2022). "Brenna Bird topples incumbent Tom Miller in Iowa attorney general race". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ "Iowa won't pay for rape victims' abortions or contraceptives". Politico. Associated Press. April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Belin, Laura (February 16, 2025). "Brenna Bird Hid The Ball On Major Disability Case. Now She's Lying About It". www.bleedingheartland.com. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ a b "UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, LUBBOCK DIVISION" (PDF).
- ^ "About Attorney General Brenna Bird". iowaattorneygeneral.gov. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ McIntosh, Sam (January 4, 2019). "Meet New Guthrie County Attorney Brenna Bird". Raccoon Valley Radio. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ "About Attorney General Brenna Bird". www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov.
- ^ "Iowa Secretary of State General Election 2010 Canvass Summary Attorney General" (PDF). sos.iowa.gov. p. 11. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
- ^ "Iowa Secretary of State General Election 2022 Canvass Summary Attorney General" (PDF). sos.iowa.gov. pp. 64–73. Retrieved March 24, 2025.