Tom Townsend is a Democratic State Senator representing District 36 in the Iowa Senate, which includes the city of Dubuque and portions of Dubuque County. Elected to his first term in 2024, he serves from January 13, 2025, to January 10, 2027, and is a retired electrician. Notable achievements include his induction into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame for volunteer efforts feeding thousands of low-income and disabled citizens in the Dubuque area, leadership as president of the Dubuque Area Labor Harvest, and prior service as Business Manager for IBEW Local 704 since 2011. His 2025 committee assignments include State Government, Transportation , Veterans Affairs, Ways & Means, Workforce, and the Justice Systems Budget Subcommittee.

Education and Political Experience

Born and raised on a farm in northwest Illinois, Townsend enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school, completing the Navy Nuclear Power Program and serving on deployments aboard the USS James Monroe and USS Haddock for six years. He then joined the IBEW Local 704 Apprenticeship Program, becoming a journeyman wireman across several states and holding various union leadership roles. Politically, this marks his first elected office; previous appointments include the Economic Development Authority Board and Local Workforce Development Boards . He and his wife, Judee, have three children and five grandchildren.