Brenna Bird | |
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34th Attorney General of Iowa | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Governor | Kim Reynolds |
Preceded by | Tom Miller |
Personal details | |
Born | Brenna Findley 1976 (age 47–48) Dexter, Iowa |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Bob Bird |
Education | Drake University (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
Signature | |
Brenna Bird (née Findley) born 1976 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.
Career
In the 2010 elections, Bird ran for Attorney General of Iowa. She lost to incumbent Tom Miller by 11 percent. She considered running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2014 elections, but opted against running. Bird served as counsel to Governor Terry Branstad and became county attorney for Guthrie County, Iowa in 2018. In 2019, a jury ruled that Branstad and Bird had discriminated against an employee because of his sexual orientation, and awarded him $1.5 million, but the verdict was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2021.
She ran against Miller in the 2022 Iowa Attorney General election. She narrowly defeated Miller, who had served ten four-year terms as attorney general.
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.
Personal life
Bird lives with her husband, Bob Bird, and their son on her family farm in southeastern Guthrie County. Bird is a member of the All Saints Church.
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.
- "Meet Iowa attorney general candidates in midterm elections 2022". Des Moines Register. October 4, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- Sullivan, Kate (July 16, 2019). "Jury finds ex-Iowa governor discriminated against gay official". CNN. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- Foley, Ryan (June 30, 2021). "Court overturns gay bias verdict against ex-Iowa governor". Associated Press News. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- "Brenna Bird wins Iowa attorney general race over longtime AG Tom Miller". Kcci.com. 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.
- "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.
External links
Party political offices | ||
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VacantTitle last held byDavid Millage | Republican nominee for Attorney General of Iowa 2010 |
Succeeded byAdam Gregg |
VacantTitle last held byAdam Gregg | Republican nominee for Attorney General of Iowa 2022 |
Most recent |
Legal offices | ||
Preceded byTom Miller | Attorney General of Iowa 2023–present |
Incumbent |
Statewide political officials of Iowa | ||
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U.S. senators | ||
State government | ||
State Senate |
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State House |
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Supreme Court (appointed, retained by election) |
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- 21st-century American lawyers
- 21st-century American women lawyers
- Christians from Iowa
- District attorneys in Iowa
- Drake University alumni
- Iowa attorneys general
- Iowa Republicans
- Living people
- People from Dallas County, Iowa
- People from Guthrie County, Iowa
- University of Chicago Law School alumni
- Women in Iowa politics
- 1976 births