J.D. Scholten is a Democratic member of the Iowa House of Representatives, serving District 1 in Woodbury County since January 2023. Born on March 4, 1980, in Ames, Iowa, he was raised in Sioux City and is a former professional baseball player, paralegal, and nonprofit director. Notable achievements include nearly defeating incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King in Iowa's 4th Congressional District in 2018 with a grassroots campaign, outperforming Democratic tickets despite Trump's strong margins; running for U.S. Senate; and having his game-worn Sioux City Explorers jersey inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame after pitching professionally at age 44.

Education and Political Experience

Education: Graduated from East High School in Sioux City, where he played baseball and basketball; earned a B.A. in history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, leading the Cornhuskers in earned run average as a senior pitcher in 2002; previously played baseball at Morningside College.

Political Experience: Entered politics in 2018 with a campaign against Steve King, pledging no corporate PAC money and touring all 99 Iowa counties; served as a civil litigation paralegal specializing in eDiscovery and intellectual property beforehand; current memberships include Iowa Farmer’s Union, End MLB Blackouts Society president, One Country board member, St. Mark Lutheran Church, and U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.